🌾Silvipasture Systems -- Trees with Pasture and Animals

When Trees Feed the Cattle

In the previous lesson, we explored agrisilviculture — the combination of trees with crops through systems like Taungya, alley cropping, and shelterbelts. Now we turn to the second major system type: silvipasture — where trees are combined with pasture and livestock instead of crops.

In the arid districts of Rajasthan, a livestock farmer faces a critical problem every winter — grass dries up and there is no green fodder for months. But the farmer who planted Grewia optiva and Morus alba trees along field boundaries can harvest protein-rich leaves all winter, keeping cattle healthy and milk flowing. This is the silvipasture system — trees deliberately integrated with pasture and livestock.

This lesson covers:

1. Protein banks — dedicated high-protein fodder tree plantings
2. Live fences — biological barriers that also produce fodder
3. Trees on pasture land — shade, microclimate, and additional products

These sub-systems are particularly important for dryland agriculture questions in IBPS AFO and NABARD exams.

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What is a Silvipasture System?

While agrisilviculture focuses on tree-crop interactions, silvipasture shifts the focus to the tree-animal relationship. The core challenge it addresses is keeping livestock fed and healthy in regions where natural pasture alone is insufficient year-round.

A silvipasture system combines trees with pasture and/or animals on the same unit of land.

• Most needed in dry areas where natural pastures alone cannot provide year-round feed
• Trees serve as a buffer during lean periods when grasses are scarce
• Three main sub-types: Protein banks, Live fences, Trees on pasture land

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1. Protein Banks

A protein bank is a dedicated block or strip of land planted with high-protein tree species to supplement livestock nutrition during fodder scarcity.

Protein Bank Species

Tree Fodder vs Grass Fodder -- Why Trees Matter

Parameter	Grass/Crop Residue	Tree Leaves (Protein Bank)
Crude protein	3-8%	12-25%
Availability in winter	Scarce (dry)	Available (evergreen/late deciduous)
Mineral content	Low	Generally higher (Ca, P)
Digestibility	Variable	Moderate to good
Labour	Low (grazing)	Higher (cut and carry)

Tree fodder supplements — not replaces — grass. The combination ensures balanced nutrition year-round.

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2. Live Fences of Fodder Trees

A live fence is a row of closely planted trees or shrubs that serves as a biological barrier while also producing fodder.

Live Fence Species

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3. Trees and Shrubs on Pasture Land

The most widespread form of silvipasture — trees scattered across or systematically arranged on grazing land.

Benefits of trees on pasture:

• Shade for livestock — reduces heat stress (critical in tropical regions)
• Additional fodder from tree foliage
• Improved microclimate — lower temperature, higher humidity
• Nitrogen fixation by leguminous trees benefits grass growth
• Timber and fuelwood as long-term products

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Comparison of Three Silvipasture Sub-systems

The three sub-systems serve different niches on a livestock farm. Understanding their differences is key for exam questions that ask you to match a system to a farmer’s specific need.

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Agricultural Connection: Why Livestock Farmers Need Trees

In arid and semi-arid India, livestock farming faces multiple simultaneous challenges — fodder scarcity, heat stress, soil degradation, and single-income risk. Silvipasture addresses all of these through one integrated system.

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Exam Tips

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Summary Table

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Summary Cheat Sheet