Agri-silviculture system

Agri-silviculture system

It is defined as growing of trees and agriculture crops together in same lands at the same time. This system is common in all agro-ecological zones of Nepal, where agriculture crops are grown in terrace flat and trees are grown in terrace bunds, borders and slopes. Trees grown in different regions are Terai (Sissoo, Eucalyptus, Baikaino, Ipil IPil etc) hill (Mainly fodder trees such as Badahar, Tanki, Koiralo, Ipil-Ipil, Mulberry etc) and mountain (fodder trees such as Gogan, Dudhilo etc.

The main advantages of this system are as follows:

 Produce multiple products such as food/vegetables/fruits, fodder and forage needed for livestock, fuel wood, timber, and leaf litter needed for organic manure production.

 Improve and sustain the crop productivity which increases the level of income of the farmers.

 Improve the nutritive value of animal feed due to the supply of green fodder..

 This is also the best practice for soil nutrient recycling, which also helps to reduce chemical fertilizer purchase.

 Improve the farm site ecology by reducing surface run off, soil erosion and nutrient loss, gully formation and landslides.

 Improve the local micro-climate and enhance the productive capacity of the farm.

 Reduce pressure of community forests and other natural forests for fodder, fuel wood and timber.

 This practices helps for the beautification of the surrounding areas.

Inter cropping practices can also adopt in this system in plain areas where trees should be grown maintaining rows to rows distance (5 meters) and plant to plant distance (2-3 meters). Management operations such singling, pruning and thinning in timber species and lopping, coppicing and pollarding in fodder species should be applied to reduce shading effects of trees on agriculture crops.