Agroforestry Systems for Soil Health Improvement and Maintenance

Shah Fahad (), Sangram Bhanudas Chavan, Akash Ravindra Chichaghare, Appanderanda Ramani Uthappa, Manish Kumar, Vijaysinha Kakade, Aliza Pradhan, Dinesh Jinger, Gauri Rawale, Dinesh Kumar Yadav, Vikas Kumar, Taimoor Hassan Farooq, Baber Ali, Akshay Vijay Sawant, Shah Saud, Shouyue Chen and Peter Poczai ()
Additional contact information
Shah Fahad: Department of Agronomy, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan
Sangram Bhanudas Chavan: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413115, India
Akash Ravindra Chichaghare: Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur 680656, India
Appanderanda Ramani Uthappa: ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa 403402, India
Manish Kumar: ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India
Vijaysinha Kakade: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413115, India
Aliza Pradhan: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413115, India
Dinesh Jinger: ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Vasad 388306, India
Gauri Rawale: Department of Forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125004, India
Dinesh Kumar Yadav: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati 413115, India
Vikas Kumar: Department of Agriculture, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur 303012, India
Taimoor Hassan Farooq: College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT), Changsha 410004, China
Baber Ali: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Akshay Vijay Sawant: Department of Forest Product and Utilization, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur 680656, India
Shah Saud: College of Life Science, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
Shouyue Chen: College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China
Peter Poczai: Botany Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-25

Abstract: Agroforestry integrates woody perennials with arable crops, livestock, or fodder in the same piece of land, promoting the more efficient utilization of resources as compared to monocropping via the structural and functional diversification of components. This integration of trees provides various soil-related ecological services such as fertility enhancements and improvements in soil physical, biological, and chemical properties, along with food, wood, and fodder. By providing a particular habitat, refugia for epigenic organisms, microclimate heterogeneity, buffering action, soil moisture, and humidity, agroforestry can enhance biodiversity more than monocropping. Various studies confirmed the internal restoration potential of agroforestry. Agroforestry reduces runoff, intercepts rainfall, and binds soil particles together, helping in erosion control. This trade-off between various non-cash ecological services and crop production is not a serious constraint in the integration of trees on the farmland and also provides other important co-benefits for practitioners. Tree-based systems increase livelihoods, yields, and resilience in agriculture, thereby ensuring nutrition and food security. Agroforestry can be a cost-effective and climate-smart farming practice, which will help to cope with the climate-related extremities of dryland areas cultivated by smallholders through diversifying food, improving and protecting soil, and reducing wind erosion. This review highlighted the role of agroforestry in soil improvements, microclimate amelioration, and improvements in productivity through agroforestry, particularly in semi-arid and degraded areas under careful consideration of management practices.

Keywords: agroforestry; soil health; land degradation; microclimate; soil fertility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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