🏕🐄 Agri-Silvi-Pasture Systems

Home Gardens, Woody Hedge-Rows & Other Agroforestry Systems

Agrisilvopastoral/Agrosilvopastoral System (Crops + Tree + Grasses/Animals).
Agrisilvipastural system refers to the production of woody perennial along with annuals and pastures.
This system is grouped into two categories viz., home garden and woody hedgerows for browse, mulch, green manure and soil conservation.

Home gardens or Multitire system or Multitire cropping

Home gardens are suitable to high rainfall areas in tropical conditions.
These are highly productive and sustainable one.
Home gardens are characterized by high species diversity and usually 3-4 vertical canopy strata.⭐️
It is most prevalent agroforestry system in high rainfall areas of Kerala.
Food production is primary function of home gardens.
In this system, trees, shrubs, vegetables and other herbaceous plants are grown in dense.
These plants are arranged in random both spatially and temporally.
Animals also included in many of the home gardens for which fodder grasses and legumes are planted.
Homestead occupies an area around 0.20 to 0.50 ha.
This system is managed by family labour.

👉🏻 Choice of Species

Woody species: Anacardium occidentale (Cashew), Artocarpus heterophyllus (Kathal), Citrus spp. (Nibu), Mangifera indica (Mango), Azadirachta indica, Cocos nucifera (Coconut).
Herbaceous species: Onion, cabbage, Pumpkin, Sweet potato, Banana, Beans etc.

In this system, fast growing fodder, shrubs and woody hedges are planted for the purpose of mulch, green manure, soil conservation, etc.
The main aim of this system is the production of food/fodder/fuelwood and soil conservation.
The suitable species for this system are Erythrina spp, Leucaena luecocephala and Sesbania grandiflora.

Also known as Silviapiary.
In this system, nectar trees producing more flowers and honey are planted with the aim to augment apiculture.
Suitable species: Syzygium cumini, Gliricidia sepium, Cassia spp. etc.

In this system, suitable trees are planted around the fish ponds.
The prime objective is to augment the aquaculture by reducing evaporation and augmenting microclimate.
Aqua-forestry is a specialized agroforestry system.
Mulberry, Acacia nilotica (Bamboos), Salix, Taxoderma, and Eucalyptus are suitable for bank planting surrounding the fish ponds.
Taxodium scandens (Pons Cypress): Extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae.

In this system, multipurpose trees are grown in a mixed fashion with the objective to provide wood, fodder, soil conservation, soil reclamation, etc.