scholarly journals Diversity Bears Fruit: Evaluating the Economic Potential of Undervalued Fruits for an Agroecological Restoration Approach in the Peruvian Amazon

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4582
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Lagneaux ◽  
Merel Jansen ◽  
Julia Quaedvlieg ◽  
Pieter A. Zuidema ◽  
Niels P. R. Anten ◽  
...  

Agroforestry systems with a range of native and often neglected and underutilized tree species (NUS) are increasingly recognized for their potential role in restoration, simultaneously providing ecological and livelihood benefits. Successful adoption of these systems requires knowledge about beneficial species, system-level potential profitability, and barriers faced by farmers. Such information is essential but lacking for most NUS. We analyzed the economic potential of NUS in diverse smallholder-managed agroforestry systems in the Peruvian Amazon. Through semi-structured surveys with local stakeholders (n = 40), we identified 10 native Amazonian NUS fruit with ecological, nutritious and commercial benefits. We then simulated the potential revenue per species and system-level profit of an agroforestry system designed with the 10 NUS. Our projections suggest that a diverse NUS-based agroforestry system can outcompete most alternative land-uses in the region on a per hectare profit basis. This shows that including NUS in restoration efforts could provide economic benefits for smallholders. To realize this potential, we recommend adapted interventions, e.g., increased farmer access to planting material, technical support for production and capacity building with a focus on high-potential NUS.

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-125
Author(s):  
AK Das ◽  
MA Rahman ◽  
SR Saha ◽  
NS Sarmin ◽  
MA Hoque ◽  
...  

Sustainable agricultural practices like agroforestry systems are being advocated to overcome various problems of farming. A young malta (Citrus sinensis) orchard (3 years old) was transformed into a fruit tree-based agroforestry system in which the performances of summer (okra and Indian spinach) and autumn (mungbean and kangkong) crops and year-round spices (ginger and turmeric) were evaluated following randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replication each and eventually compared between agroforestry systems and respective sole cropping (control) from March 2018 to February 2019 at BSMRAU field. The experimental results revealed that the yields of the associated crops deprived when grown at the closest row position from the bed of malta tree and spices. Yields of okra, Indian spinach, mungbean, kangkong, turmeric and ginger were reduced by 7.57, 6.52, 14.86, 13.26, 9.70 and 16.23%, respectively under agroforestry system as compared to control. However, malta yield was increased by 5.35% in agroforestry system than control trees. The findings also indicated that the crops in agroforestry system was less hindered by the shade effect of malta trees due to less dense canopy of young malta trees. In comparison to sole cropping system, the higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) (2.93) and land equivalent ratio (LER) (2.83) were obtained in the studied agroforestry system that explicated higher system productivity and land uses. Notable improvement of total nitrogen and organic matter were obtained in the soil under agroforestry system. Therefore, malta-based agroforestry system can be a promising alternative to provide higher economic benefits, boosting food and nutritional security, improving soil nutrient status and utilization of land. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. (2020) 24(1) : 113-125


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Gosling ◽  
Thomas Knoke ◽  
Esther Reith ◽  
Alyna Reyes Cáceres ◽  
Carola Paul

AbstractModels are essential to assess the socio-economic credentials of new agroforestry systems. In this study, we showcase robust optimisation as a tool to evaluate agroforestry’s potential to meet farmers’ multiple goals. Our modelling approach has three parts. First, we use a discrete land-use model to evaluate two agroforestry systems (alley cropping and silvopasture) and conventional land uses against five socio-economic objectives, focusing on the forest frontier in eastern Panama. Next, we couple the land-use model with robust optimisation, to determine the mix of land uses (farm portfolio) that minimises trade-offs between the five objectives. Here we consider uncertainty to simulate the land-use decisions of a risk-averse farmer. Finally, we assess how the type and amount of agroforestry included in the optimal land-use portfolio changes under different environmental, socio-economic and political scenarios, to explore the conditions that may make agroforestry more attractive for farmers. We identify silvopasture as a promising land use for meeting farmers’ goals, especially for farms with less productive soils. The additional labour demand compared to conventional pasture, however, may prove an important barrier to adoption for farms facing acute labour shortages. The selection of agroforestry responded strongly to changes in investment costs and timber prices, suggesting that cost-sharing arrangements and tax incentives could be effective strategies to enhance adoption. We found alley cropping to be less compatible with farmers’ risk aversion, but this agroforestry system may still be a desirable complement to the land-use portfolio, especially for farmers who are more profit-oriented and tolerant of risk.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. IQBAL ◽  
H.A. RAUF ◽  
A.N. SHAH ◽  
B. SHAHZAD ◽  
M.A Bukhari

ABSTRACT Selection of tree species under agroforestry systems is crucial to sustain the productivity of a crop. In present study, allelopathic effects of the leaf litters of 5 trees named Rose wood (Dalbergia sissoo), Guava (Pisidium guajava), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) and Jaman (Syzygium cumini) species on wheat growth and yield was examined. Leaf litter of each tress species was mixed in soil with two doses @ 100 and 200 g of leaves of each species per pot. Higher shoot length, shoot dry weight, number of spikelets per spike and biological yield were recorded in 200 g sun dried Jaman (Syzygium cumini) leaves. Total number of tillers per plant and number of ears per plant were higher under the application of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves (200 g sun dried) as compared to other treatments. Spike length, grain yield per pot, number of grains per pot and harvest index were maximum in 200 g sun-dried Sacred fig (Ficu sreligiosa) leaves. Majority of the parameters were promoted at lower doses of leaves per pot, however, at higher doses they started inhibiting the growth and grain yield of wheat.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Fernando Allende Álvarez ◽  
Gillian Gómez-Mediavilla ◽  
Nieves López-Estébanez ◽  
Pedro Molina Holgado ◽  
Judith Ares Barajas

The present paper highlights the importance of hedgerows and enclosures in the mountains of Central Spain. Now, these landscapes have suffered profound variations in terms of agroforestry practices, especially in the Mediterranean mountains where the characteristic multifunctional has largely been lost. The article analyzes land uses changes, dynamics, and their morphological features between the first half of the 20th Century (1956) and the second decade of the present time (2019). The paper was divided into three sections. First, the identification of land uses using orthophotograph and aerial photograph; after that the info was checked with fieldwork. Eleven categories were identified according to the dominant use and land use changes and size of land parcels were taken into consideration. Second, the configuration and the information collected through the type and intensity of change in land uses made it possible to recognise and quantify their distribution and trend between these two dates. Also, the kernel density algorithm available in the Arcgis 10.5 software was used to obtain density and changes in land parcels. Finally, an overview is given of the main role that this agroforestry plays due to the social, ecological, and economic benefits that they provide for allowing sustainable development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 961
Author(s):  
Junko Kimura ◽  
Cyrille Rigolot

Geographical indications (GIs) have recently become an important tool for Japanese agricultural policy, particularly after the adoption of a “sui generis” certification system in 2015. In the same year, the United Nations proposed a common agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The present paper addresses the potential of GIs to enhance SDGs in Japan. First, we examine existing knowledge on GI inception, which consists in both government reports and research surveys. We show that these studies mostly focus on SDGs related to economic growth, and on social issues raised by the registration process. Then, as an exploration of potential impacts of GIs on the full set of SDGs, we study the case of Mishima Bareisho Potato GI, on the basis of interviews and participatory observation. From local stakeholders’ point of view, Mishima Potato GI can contribute to at least nine SDGs at all the production, transformation and commercialization stages. The SDG framework is useful to reveal some contributions seldomly considered in GI studies but which matter for local people, for example, the employment of disabled people or nutritional education. Finally, we discuss how these new insights can contribute to the debate on the potential role and limits of GIs for sustainable development in Japan.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi Cardinael ◽  
Bertrand Guenet ◽  
Tiphaine Chevallier ◽  
Christian Dupraz ◽  
Thomas Cozzi ◽  
...  

Abstract. Agroforestry is an increasingly popular farming system enabling agricultural diversification and providing several ecosystem services. In agroforestry systems, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are generally increased, but it is difficult to disentangle the different factors responsible for this storage. Organic carbon (OC) inputs to the soil may be larger, but SOC decomposition rates may be modified owing to microclimate, physical protection, or priming effect from roots, especially at depth. We used an 18-year-old silvoarable system associating hybrid walnut trees (Juglans regia × nigra) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum), and an adjacent agricultural control plot to quantify all OC inputs to the soil – leaf litter, tree fine root senescence, crop residues, and tree row herbaceous vegetation –, and measure SOC stocks down 2 m depth at varying distances from the trees. We then proposed a model that simulates SOC dynamics in agroforestry accounting for both the whole soil profile and the lateral spatial heterogeneity. OC inputs to soil were increased by about 40 % (+1.11 t C ha−1 yr−1) down to 2 m depth in the agroforestry plot compared to the control, resulting in an additional SOC stock of 6.3 t C ha−1 down to 1 m depth. The model described properly the measured SOC stocks and distribution with depth. It showed that the increased inputs of fresh biomass to soil explained the observed additional SOC storage in the agroforestry plot. Moreover, modeling revealed a strong priming effect that would reduce the potential SOC storage due to higher organic inputs in the agroforestry system by 75 to 90 %. This result questions the potential of soils to store large amounts of carbon, especially at depth. Deep-rooted trees modify OC inputs to soil, a process that deserves further studies given its potential effects on SOC dynamics.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Gebru Eyasu Siyum ◽  
Tuemay Tassew

Mitigation of climate change is one of the major environmental challenges facing the globe. In this context, homegarden agroforestry systems (HGAFs) have large potential for climate change mitigation. Therefore, this study was initiated to estimate the biomass and soil carbon stocks of HGAFs in relation to adjacent Natural Forest (NF). It also analyzed the relationship between woody species diversity, evenness and richness with biomass and soil carbon stocks. Three sites were purposely selected on the basis of the presence of HGAFs and NF adjacent to each other. Random sampling was used to select representative homegardens from the study population. In NF, a systematic sampling technique was employed. A total of 60 plots with a size of 10 m x 20 m were used to collect vegetation and soil data in both land uses. Soil samples were collected from each plot of the samples laid for vegetation sampling. Accordingly, 120 composite and 120 undisturbed soil samples from 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm soil depths were collected for soil organic carbon (SOC) and bulk density analysis respectively. Biomass estimation for each woody species was analyzed by using appropriate allometric equations. The result showed that the total amount of carbon stocks was 148.32±35.76 tons ha-1 and 157.27±51.61 tons ha-1 in HGAFs and adjacent NF respectively which did not vary significantly between the two studied land uses (P > 0.05). The finding also shows a positive but non-significant (P>0.05) relationship between carbon stocks and woody species diversity, richness, and evenness. Specifically, in NF lands, woody species diversity with SOC (r=0.36) and in HGAFs species richness with biomass carbon (r=0.39) was correlated positively and significantly (P=0.05). We concluded that HGAFs have the same potential as the NF for carbon stock accumulation and to counteract the loss of biomass.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taufan Alam ◽  
Priyono Suryanto ◽  
Supriyanta Supriyanta ◽  
Panjisakti Basunanda ◽  
Rani Agustina Wulandari ◽  
...  

Abstract. Alam T, Suryanto P, Supriyanta, Basunanda P, Wulandari RA, Kastono D, Widyawan MH, Nurmansyah, Taryono. 2021. Rice cultivar selection in an agroforestry system through GGE-biplot and EBLUP. Biodiversitas 22: 4750-4757. Genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) causes differences in the productivity of rice cultivars in agroforestry systems. For this reason, the stability of rice cultivars is an important aspect that should be considered before a cultivar is recommended to farmers. Superior genotypes and ideal environments are commonly identified using two statistical models, namely, genotype–genotype-by-environment biplot (GGE-biplot) and empirical best linear unbiased prediction (EBLUP). In this study, 15 rice cultivars were evaluated in terms of their productivity and stability in three soil types (Lithic Haplusterts, Ustic Epiaquerts, and Vertic Haplustalfs) in an agroforestry system with kayu putih (Melaleuca cajuputi) in 2019 and 2020 at the Menggoran Forest Resort, Playen Forest Section, Yogyakarta Forest Management District, Indonesia. The cultivars were treated as random effects to select and obtain the EBLUP of the best cultivars in each soil type. The EBLUP revealed that Situ Patenggang showed the highest yields of 4.887 and 5.456 tons ha?1 in Lithic Haplusterts and Vertic Haplustalfs, respectively. GM 28 exhibited the highest yield of 6.492 tons ha?1 in Ustic Epiaquerts. Ciherang, GM 2, GM 8, GM 11, GM 28, Inpari 6 Jete, Inpari 33, IR-64, and Way Apo Buru were classified as stable and fairly stable cultivars, whereas the other cultivars were unstable. Therefore, rice cultivars with high yields in specific soil types should be selected.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1240
Author(s):  
Maria Fernanda Magioni Marçal ◽  
Zigomar Menezes de Souza ◽  
Rose Luiza Moraes Tavares ◽  
Camila Viana Vieira Farhate ◽  
Stanley Robson Medeiros Oliveira ◽  
...  

This study aims to assess the carbon stock in a pasture area and fragment of forest in natural regeneration, given the importance of agroforestry systems in mitigating gas emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect, as well as promoting the maintenance of agricultural productivity. Our other goal was to predict the carbon stock, according to different land use systems, from physical and chemical soil variables using the Random Forest algorithm. We carried out our study at an Entisols Quartzipsamments area with a completely randomized experimental design: four treatments and six replites. The treatments consisted of the following: (i) an agroforestry system developed for livestock, (ii) an agroforestry system developed for fruit culture, (iii) a conventional pasture, and (iv) a forest fragment. Deformed and undeformed soil samples were collected in order to analyze their physical and chemical properties across two consecutive agricultural years. The response variable, carbon stock, was subjected to a boxplot analysis and all the databases were used for a predictive modeling which in turn used the Random Forest algorithm. Results led to the conclusion that the agroforestry systems developed both for fruit culture and livestock, are more efficient at stocking carbon in the soil than the pasture area and forest fragment undergoing natural regeneration. Nitrogen stock and land use systems are the most important variables to estimate carbon stock from the physical and chemical variables of soil using the Random Forest algorithm. The predictive models generated from the physical and chemical variables of soil, as well as the Random Forest algorithm, presented a high potential for predicting soil carbon stock and are sensitive to different land use systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 9283-9291
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Gómez-Yarce ◽  
Edna Rocío Mompotes-Largo ◽  
Aníbal López-Castro ◽  
Juan David Hernández-Arredondo ◽  
Oscar De Jesús Córdoba-Gaona

The cultivation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) under agroforestry systems, generates beneficial environmental conditions for cocoa crop physiology. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of shade trees (Spanish elm trees - Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pavon) Oken) planted along with cocoa (clone CCN51) under an agroforestry system on cocoa’s gas exchange parameters regarding the reduction of the light intensity over the cocoa-leaf canopy. The experiment was developed in the Centro de Investigación el Nus - Agrosavia, located in the municipality of San Roque, Antioquia. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design for the cocoa planting distances from the first row of Spanish elm trees interfacing with the cocoa plantation (4 m, 7 m, 10 m, 13 m). The statistical analysis was performed by estimating the area under the curve (AUC) of each variable, using the trapezoid equation of the statistical environment SAS® 9.4, an analysis of variances was performed to determine if there were statistical differences between treatments, and Tukey’s test at 5% probability was used to estimated statistical differences between means. There were significant differences in the treatments regarding the net photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E). The highest values of gas exchange parameters were found in the plants located 13 m from elm trees, while the lowest values were presented at 4 m. Plants at 7 m and 10 m always showed intermediate values for all gas exchange parameters. In the same sense, plants at 13 m had a higher radiation use efficiency (RUE) compared to plants at 4 m. The arboreal component modified the environmental conditions on cocoa trees regarding its distribution, generating a differential response to the physiological behavior of cocoa plants.


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