Tree biomass, resource use and crop productivity in agri-horti-silvicultural systems in the dry region of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

A combination of silvicultural species [Prosopis cineraria (L.), Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. and Colophospermum mopane (J. Kirk ex Benth.)] were planted with horticultural species [Ziziphus mauritiana (L.), Cordia myxa (Forster), and Emblica officinalis (Gaertn)] and intercropped with wheat (Triticum aestivum). Z. mauritiana +P. cineraria combination produced greater fruit, fodder and fuel wood and was less competitive to wheat crop. Crop yield reduced by 5% to 23% in the agroforestry systems than the yield in sole crop plot. Lowest yield was in C. mopane + C. myxa combination. Fodder yield was 0.53, 0.20 and 0.07 t ha−1 from C. mopane (cursive), P. cineraria and A. excelsa, respectively, whereas utilizable biomass was 2.63 t ha−1 from C. myxa (cursive) + P. cineraria, 2.21 t ha−1 from C. myxa (cursive) + C. mopane and 2.18 t ha−1 from Z. mauritiana + P. cineraria combinations. Soil organic carbon and NH4–N increased (by 7% and 8%, respectively), whereas NO3–N and PO4–P decreased in agroforestry compared to the sole tree plots. Primary root attributes of P. cineraria, A. excelsa and C. mopane were higher in agroforestry and mostly concentrated in the top 0–25 cm of the soil layer. Z. mauritiana + P. cineraria were the best combination with minimum yield reduction and were found to be beneficial in enhancing soil fertility.