Current Science

S. B. Chavan ¹, A. R. Uthappa ¹, K. B. Sridhar ¹, A. Keerthika ², A. K. Handa ¹, Ram Newaj ¹, Naresh Kumar ¹, Dhiraj Kumar ¹, O. P. Chaturvedi ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, IN
2 ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, RRS, Pali-Marwar 306 401, IN

Abstract

Trees have been a part of life for centuries in India for sustainable livelihood security. Under the difficult climatic situations, farmers are forced to adopt tree-based systems to secure their income and livelihood. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) harvesting, collection and processing are creating several employment opportunities in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region of India. This article aims to document the livelihood dependency on trees of farmers, tribals and landless labourers for income generation. Surveys and interviews in Bundelkhand region provided an overview of the dependency of different rural communities on NTFPs such as gum, dona pattal, lac from Butea; brooms, jaggery and baskets from Phoenix; flowers and seeds from mahua; bidi leaves from tendu and sticks from bamboo for sustaining their livelihood. To promote NTFPs-based livelihood enterprises, more emphasis should be given for sustainable harvest, value-addition and marketing.

Keywords

Employment Generation, Sustainable Livelihood, Trees.

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R. H. Rizvi ¹, Ram Newaj ¹, Rajendra Prasad ¹, A. K. Handa ¹, Badre Alam ¹, S. B. Chavan ¹, Abhishek Saxena ¹, P. S. Karmakar ¹, Amit Jain ¹, Mayank Chaturvedi ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, IN

Abstract

Agroforestry is a traditional and ancient land use practice, having deliberate integration of trees with crop and livestock components. In India, agroforestry practices are prevalent in different agro-ecological zones and occupy sizeable areas. These practices have great potential for climate change mitigation through sequestration of atmospheric CO₂. Carbon sequestration potential was studied in four districts of Gujarat (Anand, Dahod, Patan and Junagarh), for which field survey was conducted to collect primary data on existing agroforestry systems. The extent of agroforestry area in these districts was estimated by sub-pixel classifier using medium resolution remote sensing data (RS-2/LISS III). By sub-pixel classifier, the highest area under agroforestry was estimated in Dahod (12.48%) followed by Junagarh district (10.95%) with an average of 9.12%. Sapota (Manilkara zapota) based agroforestry was also mapped in Junagarh district, which occupied an area of 1.13%. An accuracy of 87.2% was found by sub-pixel classifier in delineation of sapota-based agroforestry in the district. Dynamic CO2FIX model has been used to estimate total carbon (biomass + soils) and net carbon sequestered in existing agroforestry systems. Net carbon sequestered over a simulated period of 30 years in Anand, Dahod, Patan and Junagarh districts was found to be 2.70, 6.26, 1.61 and 1.50 Mg C ha^-1 respectively. Total carbon stock in all four districts for baseline and simulated period of 30 years was estimated to be 2.907 and 3.251 million tonnes respectively. Thus, agroforestry systems in Gujarat have significant potential in carbon storage and trapping atmospheric CO₂ into biomass and soils. Hence, CO2FIX model in conjunction with remote sensing techniques can be successfully applied for estimating carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems in a district or a region.

Keywords

Agroforestry, Geospatial, Remote Sensing, Sub-Pixel, Tree Cover.

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Ram Newaj ¹, O. P. Chaturvedi ¹, Dhiraj Kumar ¹, Rajendra Prasad ¹, R. H. Rizvi ¹, Badre Alam ¹, A. K. Handa ¹, S. B. Chavan ¹, Anil Kumar Singh ¹, Mayank Chaturvedi ¹, P. S. Karmakar ¹, Abhishek Maurya ¹, Abhishek Saxena ¹, Gargi Gupta ¹, Kedari Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, IN

Abstract

The rising level of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is a major concern, as scientific evidences show that it is the primary cause of global warming. CO₂ concentration is expected to double by the middle or end of the 21st century, with a temperature rise between 1.5°C and 4.5°C (ref. 1). The importance of agroforestry as a land-use system is receiving wider recognition not only in terms of agricultural sustainability, but also in issues related to carbon sequestration or climate change.

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S. B. Chavan ¹, R. S. Dhillon ²

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 285 003, IN
2 Department of Forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125 004, IN

Abstract

There is widespread use of poplar in pulp and paper, match splints, pencil and plywood industries, in northern India. The practice of closer spacing geometry with compact block in poplar cultivation does not permit intercropping from the third year onwards, which discourages small landholders. In 2008, poplar was planted at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India in three spacing geometries of 5 × 4 m, 10 × 2 m and 18 × 2 × 2 m (paired row) at a constant density of 500 trees ha^–1. In the present study, two cropping rotations (sorghum– berseem and cowpea–wheat) were intercropped in all three spacing geometries of poplar (up to eight years of rotation), and compared with sole cropping as a control. The results showed that yield of annual crops reduced considerably over the years due to enhancing competition for light, moisture and nutrients. The overall yields of annual crops in various spacing geometries of poplar were reduced by 5.67% in the second year to 45.59% in eight years of plantation. The study resulted in 10 × 2 m spacing of poplar with sorghum– berseem crop rotation exhibiting the highest net returns (Rs 1,191,241 ha^–1), NPV @ 12% discounting (Rs 409,673 ha^–1), B : C ratio (1 : 2.22), IRR (70%), highest land equivalent ratio (2.28) and land expectation value (Rs 2,242,372 ha^–1). In the study, LER and LEV calculated to increase the efficiency and adoptability of agroforestry systems. Therefore, on the basis of economics, the present study concludes that the intercropping of sorghum–berseem and cowpea– wheat in poplar planted at a spacing of 10 × 2 m is more profitable and helpful in doubling farmers’ income over traditional agriculture in northwestern India.

Keywords

Agroforestry, Economics, Intercropping, Land Equivalent Ratio, Poplar.

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S. B. Chavan ¹, A. Keerthika ², Sheeraz Saleem Bhat ³, A. K. Handa ¹, K. Rajarajan ¹, Suheel Ahmad ³

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, IN
2 ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Pali-Marwar 306 401, IN
3 ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Rangreth, Srinagar 191 132, IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

Keywords

No Keywords.

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A. Keerthika ¹, S. B. Chavan ²

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Pali Marwar 306 401, IN
2 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413 115, IN

Abstract

This study deals with the oxygen production potential of India taking baseline data from ISFR 2019. The Indian forests have an oxygen production potential of 7896.14 million tonnes (mt) and the annual potential was 28.04 mt yr^–1 for 2019. Considering oxygen production potential of the top 10 tree species from forests and those outside forests, Shorea robusta (Sal) and Mangifera indica (Mango) ranked first, i.e. 657.87 and 214.39 mt respectively. The fast-growing agroforestry tree species exhibit a net oxygen production rate in the range of 1.03–34.15 tonnes ha^–1 yr^–1. Bamboo being a fast-grow­ing and higher biomass-producing species showed oxygen production of 27.38 mt yr^–1. Overall this provides huge scope for establishing oxyparks in India

Keywords

Agroforestry, bamboos, oxygen production potential, oxyparks.

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Chhavi Sirohi ¹, K. S. Bangarwa ¹, R. S. Dhillon ¹, S. B. Chavan ², A. K. Handa ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125 004, IN
2 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413 115, IN
3 ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi 284 003, IN

Abstract

The diverse and multi-component nature of traditional agroforestry systems (AFS) provides them a unique edge over monoculture cropping, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems due to their role in providing several ecosystem services (ES) in addition to their prime role in agricultural production. Appropriate selection of components and their management practices results in reduced competition for resources among the components and maximum capitalization of the interactions. Poplar-based AFS adopted in a big way by farmers in the Indo-Gangetic region of India has improved their economic status due to its high industrial value. The present study discusses the effect Populus deltoides as windbreak on yield of wheat as intercrop and soil nutrient status. We considered winter wheat varieties (WH-1105, WH-542, HD-2967, HD-943 and DPW-621-50) during two consecutive years (2013–15) delimited by a row of poplar trees in the east–west and north–south directions. Whereas effects on crop produce were limited for all wheat varieties with increasing distance from the tree line, considerable yield reductions were found near the tree line (treatments T₁ and T₂) for all the wheat varieties. The highest available soil N (365.2 kg ha^–1), P (19.7 kg ha^–1) and K (357.3 kg ha^–1) were recorded near the tree line at a distance of 2 m. To optimize the provisioning service of poplar windbreak AFS, the cultivation of highly shade-tolerant wheat variety HD-2967 may be advisable over other varieties towards the end of the rotation of mature poplar trees.

Keywords

Agroforestry, crop growth and yield, Populus deltoides, tree-based intercropping, wheat.

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S. B. Chavan ¹, A. R. Uthappa ², S. B. Sridhar ³, Vijaysinha Kakade ⁴

Affiliations
1 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon, 413 115, India, IN
2 ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa, Goa 403 402, India, IN
3 ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santhoshnagar, Hyderabad 500 059, India, IN
4 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Malegaon, Baramati 413 115, India, IN

Abstract

Melia dubia is an indigenous, fast-growing and most favoured tree species, being promoted as an alternative to many exotic industrial tree species in India. It is amenable for pulp, pencil, packaging and plywood production. It has been widely cultivated by farmers in the southern states and to some extent in the central and North Indian states. It is the most promising agroforestry tree species suited for mixed, block and boundary plantations with biomass production of 80–250 t ha–1 from 4 to 8 years of planting. The economic profitability is Rs 24,000–137,500 per acre per year in different parts of the country. Under the scenario of shifting the momentum of farmers towards assured income-generating commodities like agroforestry, M. dubia is proving highly beneficial to them in terms of monetary and other livelihood opportunities.

Keywords

Agroforestry System, Indigenous Tree Species, Livelihood Opportunities, Melia dubia, Wood-based Industries

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A. Keerthika ¹, S. B. Chavan ²

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Pali Marwar 306 401, India, IN
2 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413 115, India, IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

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S. B. Chavan ¹, Aliza Pradhan ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Pune 413 115, India, IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

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