Agro-forestry

Trees play an important role in ecosystem in all terrestrials and

provide a range of products and services to rural and urban people.
As natural vegetation is cut for agriculture and other types of
development, the benefits that trees provide are best sustained by
integrating trees into agricultural system - a practice known as
agroforestry.
Farmers have practiced agroforestry since ancient times.
Agroforestry focuses on the wide range of trees grown on farms and
other rural areas. Agroforestry is a collective name for land-use
systems involving trees combined with crops and/or animals on the
same unit of land. It combines

 Production of multiple outputs with protection of the resource

base;
 Places emphasis on the use of multiple indigenous trees and
shrubs;
 Particularly suitable for low-input conditions and fragile
environments;
 It involves the interplay of socio-cultural values more than in
most other land-use systems; and
 It is structurally and functionally more complex than monoculture.

Benefits of Agroforestry

 Environment Benefits: Combining trees with food crops on

cropland farms yield certain important environment benefits, both
general ecological benefits and specific on-site benefits. The
general ecological benefits include:
o Reduction of pressure on forest.
o More efficient recycling of nutrients by deep-rooted trees on
the site.
o Better protection of ecological systems.
o Reduction of surface run-off, nutrient leaching and soil
erosion through impending effect of tree roots and stems of
these processes.
 o Improvement of microclimate, such as lowering of soil
surface temperature and reduction of evaporation of soil
moisture through a combination of mulching and shading.
o Increment in soil nutrients through addition and
decomposition of litter-fall.
o Improvement of soil structure through the constant addition
of organic matter from decomposed litter.
 Economic Benefits: Agroforestry systems on
croplands/farmlands bring significant economic benefits to the
farmer, the community, the region or the nation. Such benefits
may include:
o Increment in an maintenance of outputs of food, fuelwood,
fodder, fertilizer and timber;
o Reduction in incidence of total crop failure, common to
single-cropping or monoculture system; and
o Increase in levels of farm incomes due to improved and
sustained productivity.
 Social Benefits: Besides the economics benefits, social benefits
occur from increase in crop and tree product yields and in the
sustainability of these products. These benefits include:
o Improvement in rural living standards from sustained
employment and higher incomes;
o Improvement in nutrition and health due to increased
quality and diversity of food outputs; and
o Stabilization and improvement of upland communities
through elimination of the need to shift sites of farm
activities.

Types of Agro forestry in non-forest areas

1. Farm Forestry: Farm forestry is the name given to programmes

which promote commercial tree growing by farmers on their own
land. It is defined as the practice of forestry in all its aspects in
and the around the farms or village lands integrated with other
farm operations.
2. Extension Forestry: It is the practice of forestry in areas devoid
of tree growth and other vegetation situated in places away from
 the conventional forest areas with the object of increasing the
area under tree growth. It includes the following.
o Mixed forestry : It is the practice of forestry for raising
fodder grass with scattered fodder trees, fruit trees and fuel
wood trees on suitable wastelands, panchayat lands and
village commons.
o Shelter belts : Shelter belt is defined as a belt of trees and
or shrubs maintained for the purpose of shelter from wind,
sun, snow drift, etc.
o Linear Strip plantations : These are the plantations of fast
growing species on linear strips of land.
3. Rehabilitation of Degraded forests: The degraded area under
forests needs immediate attention for ecological restoration and
for meeting the socio economic needs of the communities living
in and around such areas.
4. Recreation Forestry: It is the practice of forestry with the object
of raising flowering trees and shrubs mainly to serve as
recreation forests for the urban and rural population. This type of
forestry is also known as Aesthetic forestry which is defined as
the practice of forestry with the object of developing or
maintaining a forest of high scenic value.

Classification of Agroforestry System on Structural Basis

The structural of a system can be defined in terms of its components

and the expected role or function of each. In this system the type of
component and their arrangement are important. Hence, on the basis
of structure, AF systems can be grouped into two categories:

 Nature of components and

 Arrangement of components.

Nature of Components : Based on the nature of components, AF

systems can be classified into the following categories;

1. Agrisilvicultural systems
2. Silvopastoral systems
3. Agrosilv opastoral systems and
4. Other systems.
1. Agrisilvicultural System (crops and trees including shrubs/vines
and trees)
This system involves the conscious and deliberate use of land for the
concurrent production of agricultural crops including tree crops and
forest crops.
Based on the nature of the components this system can be grouped
into various forms.

 Improved fallow species in shifting cultivation

 The Taungya system
 Multispecies tree gardens
 Alley cropping (Hedgerow intercropping)
 Multipurpose trees and shrubs on farmlands
 Crop combinations with plantation crops ‘
 Agroforestry fuelwood production
 Shelter-belts
 Wind-breaks
 Soil conservation hedges etc.
 Riparian Buffer

2. Silvopastoral System (trees + pasture and/or animals)

Silvopastoral systems are definitely the most prominent agroforestry
practice. Silvopastoral systems are characterized by integrating trees
with forage and livestock production. Traditionally, silvopastoral
systems involved grazing livestock in wooded rangeland and
incorporating trees in pastures for shade and timber. The majority of
rangeland grazing in hills is typically comprise the grazing of natural
herbaceous and shrubby vegetation for under trees such as pines,
bhimal, Oak etc. This system is again classified into three categories:

 Protein bank
 Living fence of fodder trees and hedges,
 Trees and shrubs on pasture.

3. Agrosilvopastoral System (trees + crops+pasture/animals)

This system has been grouped into two subgroups:

 Home Gardens: This is one of the oldest agroforestry practices,

found extensively in high rainfall areas in tropical south and
 south-east Asia. Many species of trees, bushes, vegetables and
other herbaceous plants are grown in dense and apparently
random arrangements, although some rational control over
choice plants and their spatial and temporal arrangement may
be exercised. Most home gardens also support a variety of
animals (cow, buffalo, bullock, goat, sheep) and birds (chicken,
duck).
 Woody Hedgerows: In this system various woody hedges
especially fast-growing and coppicing fodder shrubs and trees,
are planted for the purpose of browse, mulch, green manure, soil
conservation etc. The main aim of this system is production of
food/fodder/fuelwood and soil conservation.

Arrangement of Components
The arrangement of components gives first priority to the plants even
in AF systems involving animals. Their management according to a
definite plan, say a rotational grazing scheme, gives precedence to
the plants over the animals. Such plant arrangements in multispecies
combinations involve the dimensions of space and time.

 Spatial Arrangement - Spatial arrangements of plants in an AF

mixture may result in dense mixed stands (as in homegardens)
or in sparse mix stands (as in most systems of trees in
pastures). The species (or species mixtures) may be laid out in
zones or strips of varying widths. There may be several forms of
such zones, varying from microzonal arrangements (such as
alternate rows) to macrozonal ones.
 Temporal Arrangement - Temporal arrangements of plants in
AF may also take various forms. An extreme example is the
conventional shifting cultivation cycles involving 2-4 years of
cropping and more than 15 years of fallow cycle, when a
selected woody species or mixtures of species may be planted.
Socioeconomic Classification of Agroforestry Systems

Based on such socioeconomic criteria as scale of production and

level of technology input and management, agroforestry systems
have been grouped into three categories:
  Commercial,
 Intermediate and
 Subsistence systems

Limitations of Agroforestry

An integrated food-tree farming system, while advantageous, does

have certain negative aspects.

1. Environment Aspects
o possible competition of trees with food crops for space,
sunlight, moisture and nutrients which may reduce food
crop yield;
o damage to food crop during tree harvest operation;
o potential of trees to serve as hosts to insect pests that are
harmful to food crops; and
o rapid regeneration by prolific trees, which may displace
food crops and take over entire fields.
2. Socioeconomic Aspects:
o Requirement for more labour inputs, which may causes
scarcity at times in other farm activities;
o Competition between food and tree crops, which could
cause aggregate yields to be lower than those of a single
crop;
o Longer period required for trees to grow to maturity and
acquire an economic value;
o Resistance by farmers to displace food crops with trees,
especially where land is scarce;
o The fact that agroforestry is more complex, less well
understood and more difficult to apply, compared to single-
crop farm.
 Social forestry
Social Forestey is
the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren
and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental,
social and rural development. The term social forestry was first used
in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, when the
government of India aimed to reduce pressure on forests by planting
trees on all unused and fallow lands. It was intended as a democratic
approach to forest conservation and usage, maximizing land
utilization for multiple purposes.
The Indian government attempted to expand forest areas which were
close to human settlements and which had degraded due to human
activities. Trees were planted along railway lines, roadsides, rivers
and canal banks, in village common land, government wasteland,
and panchayat land, and were to be planted in and around
agricultural fields. Among the goals were to increase fuel availability
in rural areas and to prevent soil erosion. This program was a failure
due to the lack of governance, and management was delegated to
the village panchayats (village councils).

Demands and development

People felt the need for a social forestry scheme because India has a
dominant rural population that depends largely on fuelwood and other
biomass for their cooking and heating. These demands will increase
with population, threatening to reduce forested areas.
Participation
The social forestry scheme sought to enable the common people to
raise plantations which would meet the growing demand
for timber, fuelwood, fodder, etc., and thereby reduce pressure on
traditional forest areas. This concept of village forests to meet the
needs of rural people had existed for centuries across India. With the
introduction of this scheme, the government formally recognized the
rights of local communities to forest resources and encouraged rural
participation in the management of natural resources. Through the
social forestry scheme, the government has involved community
participation, as part of a drive towards afforestation,
and rehabilitating the degraded forest and common lands.
Bihar, one of the poorest states of India, lacked National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) employment during the flood
season, and this work was only suitable for able-bodied people.
Linking the social forestry scheme to NREGA was hoped to reduce
poverty and climate change. To ensure adequate care for the plants,
their ownership was given to those who had cared for them for five
years. Within 3 years, forest coverage in the region grew from 7% to
12.86%, and provided employment to thousands of women, disabled
and elderly people.
After managing the projects for five years, the government delegated
authority to the village panchayats (village councils) to manage for
themselves and generate products or revenue as they saw fit.

Objectives
Social forestry schemes have the main objectives to:

 Improve the environment for protecting agriculture from adverse

climatic factors,
 Increase the supply of fuel wood for domestic use, small timber for
rural housing, fodder for livestock, and minor forest produce for
local industries,
 Increase the natural beauty of the landscape; create recreational
forests for the benefit of rural and urban populations,
 Provide jobs for unskilled workers,
 Effect land rehabilitation, and
 Raise the standard of living and quality of life of rural and urban
people.
The mission of the scheme is:

 To carry out a need-based and time-bound program of

afforestation with special emphasis on fuelwood and fodder
development on all degraded and denuded lands/forests.
 Effect afforestation of abandoned jhum lands and mined areas.
 Establish linear strip plantation of fast-growing species on sides of
public roads, rivers, streams and irrigation canals.
 Effect afforestation on under-utilized lands under state, institutional
or private ownership.
 Create green belts in urban/industrial areas.
 Create shelterbelts (generally more extensive than the windbreaks)
for the purpose of shelter from wind and sun covering areas larger
than a single farm on a planned pattern.
 Establish farm forestry in the form of raising rows of trees on
boundaries of fields and individual trees in private agricultural land
as well as the creation of windbreaks around a farm or orchard by
raising one or two lines of trees.
 Raise flowering trees and shrubs to serve as recreation forests for
the urban and rural population.
 Elicit people's participation, involving women and young people in
the conservation of forests, wildlife, and the environment.
 Generate environmental awareness and promote environmental
events

Types
Social forestry schemes can be categorized into groups: farm
forestry, community forestry, extension forestry and agroforestry.
Farm forestry
In Farm forestry or agroforestry, trees are grown on farmland for
commercial and non-commercial purposes. Farmers are encouraged
to plant trees on their own farmland to meet their domestic needs. A
tradition of growing trees on farmland already existed in many areas,
and was the main thrust of most of India's social forestry projects. In
addition to providing fuelwood, farmers often grow trees to provide
shade for agricultural crops, as wind shelters, for soil conservation or
to recover wasteland.
The pulp and paper industry is a major demand driver for certain
species of tree such as Eucalyptus, Babul Acacia
catechu, Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) and Casuarina
equisetifolia. As a rough estimate, the total demand for pulpwood is
approximately 10 million ADMT (wood having 10% moisture). The
Indian Paper Manufacturer's Association is an umbrella organization
that coordinates and drives plantation efforts by member
organizations in India to supply its industrial requirements.[1]
Community forestry
The government provides seedlings and fertilizer to the community,
which is then responsible for nurturing and protecting the plants on
community land. This provides for the community rather than
individuals. Fast-growing Eucalyptus has been planted on a large
scale. Some communities manage these plantations sensibly and in a
sustainable manner for continual benefit, while others sell the mature
timber for a one-time capital divestment.
Extension forestry
Planting of trees on the sides of roads, canals and railways, along
with planting on wastelands is known as extension forestry,
increasing the boundaries of forests. This has created wood lots in
the village common lands, government wastelands,
and panchayat lands.
Agroforestry
In agroforestry, silvicultural practices are combined with agricultural
crops like legumes, along with orchard farming and livestock ranching
on the same piece of land. It is defined as a sustainable land-use
system that maintains or increases the total yield by combining food
crop together with forest tree and livestock ranching on the same unit
of land, using management practices that consider the social and
cultural characteristics of the local people and the economic and
ecological condition of the area.

Partners
Major non-governmental organizations who partner in the
implementation of the social forestry scheme are:

 Sri Soneswar Nath Mahadev Trust

 Try
 National Green Highway Mission (NGHM)
 Bihar forestry Development Corporation Limited
 ORGANIC FARMING- SCOPE IN INDIA
Abstract
As per the definition of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) study team on organic farming
“organic farming is a system which avoids or largely excludes the
use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides,
hormones, feed additives etc) and to the maximum extent feasible
rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal
manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives
and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant
protection”.
Keywords: Organic, biofertilizers, soil health, eco-friendly,
sustainable agriculture.

1. ORGANIC FARMING ?
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stated “Organic agriculture, a holistic
system that focuses on improvement of soil
health, use of local inputs and relatively high intensity use of
local labor, is a admirable fit for dry lands in many ways
and the dry land offer many benefits that would make it relatively
easy to implement.”
Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed
from ancient time. It is a method of farming
system which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising
crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good
health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes,
aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with
beneficial microbes (biofertilizers) to release nutrients to crops
for increased sustainable production in an eco friendly
pollution free environment.
2. NEED OF ORGANIC FARMING:

With the increase in population our compulsion would be not

only to stabilize agricultural production but to
increase it further in sustainable manner. The scientists have
realized that the „Green Revolution‟ with high input use has
reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of
falling dividends. Thus, a natural balance needs to be
maintained at all cost for existence of life and property. The
obvious choice for that would be more relevant in the
present era, when these agrochemicals which are produced from
fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in
availability. It may also cost heavily on our foreign exchange in
future.
3. CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIC FARMING
INCLUDE:

Organic farming approach involves;

1. Conversion of land from conventional management to organic

management.
2. Management of the entire surrounding system to ensure
biodiversity and sustainability of the system.

3. Crop production with use of alternative sources of nutrients

such as crop rotation, residue management, organic
manures are biological inputs.

4. Management of weeds and pests by better management

practices, physical and cultural means and by biological
control system.
5. Maintenance of livestock with organic concept and make them
an integral part of the entire system.
6. Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the
wider environment and the conservation of wildlife
and natural habitats.

4. THE FOUR PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC

AGRICULTURE
The Principle of Health –
Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil,
plant, animal and human as one and indivisible.
The Principle of Ecology - Organic agriculture should be based
on living ecological systems and cycles, work with
them, emulate them and help sustain them.
The Principle of Fairness - Organic agriculture should build on
relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the
common environment and life opportunities.
The Principle of Care - Organic agriculture should be managed
in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the
health and well being of current and future generations and the
environment.
These basic principles provide organic farming with a platform
for ensuring the health of environment for
sustainable development, even though the sustainable
development of mankind is not directly specified in the
principles.
5. FUTURE PROSPECTS:
The movement started with developed world is gradually picking
up in developing countries. But demand is still
concentrated in developed and most affluent countries. Local
demand for organic food is growing. India is poised for
faster growth with growing domestic market. Success of organic
movement in India depends upon the growth of its own
domestic markets. India has traditionally been a country of
organic agriculture, but the growth of modern scientific, input
intensive agriculture has pushed it to wall. But with the increasing
awareness about the safety and quality of foods, long
term sustainability of the system and accumulating evidences of
being equally productive, the organic farming has
emerged as an alternative system of farming which not only
addresses the quality and sustainability concerns, but also
ensures a debt free, profitable livelihood option.

6. CONCLUSION
An environmentally sustainable system of agriculture like organic
farming will be able to maintain a stable
resource balance, avoid over exploitation of renewable resource,
conserving inherent soil nutritional quality and soil
health, and biodiversity. It will lead us to sustainable agriculture
and create a sustainable lifestyle for generations to
come.