Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

University Town, Northern Samar

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education
S.Y. 2020-2021

Research Activity
in
AFA 8 – CROP PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGY III: FARMING SYSTEM

Submitted by:

Rodel D. Tobello
BTLEd-AFA 3rd Year

Submitted to:

Anthonio C. Beraya
Subject Professor
 THE AGRO-FORESTRY SYSTEMS

What is Agroforestry System?

Agroforestry systems are land management practices in which trees and

shrubs are produced on the same land area as agricultural crops or livestock.
Therefore, agroforestry systems combine trees, crops, or livestock to increase
diversity, productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship. Therefore,
agroforestry systems can provide a sustainable alternative to biologically simplified
or low diversity cropping systems. Agroforestry systems are also suited for the
rejuvenation of marginal land in both temperate and tropical biomes. Improved soil
quality, through organic matter input from trees and crops lead to increased crop
yield, ensuring the long-term security of food and soil. The tree and soil component
of agroforestry systems can also be a long-term sink for carbon, thereby contributing
to climate change mitigation.

CLASSIFICATION OF AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS

Basis of the Classification

Nair (1987) used four basis for classification of different agroforestry systems. These
are:

 the structure of the system (composition and arrangement of components)

 function of the system (role and output of components)

 the socio-economic scale and level of management

 ecological spread (ecological zones where the system exists)

Later on Dwivedi (1992) reorganizes this basis into seven as follows:

 Structure

 Physiognomic

 Function

 Floristic
  Socio-economic

 History

 Ecological

For Bangladesh conditions, the working scientists include “land utilization” as

another basis for classification of agroforestry.

 Structural basis: refers to the composition and arrangement of the

components including spatial and temporal arrangement of the different
components.

 Functional basis: refers to the major function or role of the components,

usually furnished by the woody components.

 Socio-economic basis: refers to the level of inputs management (low input,

high input) or intensity or scale of management and commercial goals
(subsistence, commercial and intermediate).

 Ecological basis: refers to the environmental condition and ecological

suitability of systems based on the assumption that certain ecological
conditions; i.e., there can be separate sets of agroforestry systems for arid
and semi-arid lands, tropical highlands, lowlands humid tropics etc.

 Physiognomic basis: physiognomy refers to characters of vegetation, such

as xeromorphic, mesomorphic and hydromorphic.

 Floristic basis: refers to species composition widely adopted in different

regions may be taken into consideration for floristic classification.

 Historical classification: refers to the agroforestry systems that evolved over

time due to the spread of knowledge.

 Land use basis: land use pattern in the course of adoption of agroforestry
under Bangladesh condition is being used as a basis of classification of
agroforestry.

A. Structural Classification

Structure refers to composition, stratification and dimension of crops.

a. Based on the nature of the composition:

i. Agrisilvicultural system: Agrisilvicultural system refers to the use of land for

the production of agricultural and forest crops, either simulenously or
 alternately, e.g., Intercropping of a forest plantation with agricultural crops,
growing agricultural tree crops with forest trees.

ii. Silvopastoral system: Silvopastoral system refers to a land management

system in which forests are managed for the production of wood, as well as,
for rearing of domestic animals, e.g. Forests with grasses.

iii. Agrosilvopastoral system: Agrocilvopastoral system is the combination of

Agrosilvicultural and Silvopastoral system, e.g. Forest with agricultural crops
and grazing lands.

iv. Others (multipurpose tree plantation system): This group refers to the
management of forest to yield fuel wood, timber, fodder, fruits, medicine etc.
there are different types of trees to yield different products.

Fig. Classification of Agroforestry systems based on the nature of composition

b. Classification based on dominance of components:

On the basis of dominance of components, the system is further classified into

the following categories:

i. Silvoagricultural: Here silviculture is the primary aim of land use. Trees

constitute the major component while agricultural crops are integrated with
them, e.g., shifting cultivation, taungya cultivation.

ii. Agrosilviculture: Agriculture is the primary (major) components and the

trees are secondary, e.g., multipurpose trees on farm land, hedgerow or al
ley cropping, intercropping of trees, home gardens.

iii. Silvopasture: Trees constitute the primary (major) component of land use
with pastures as secondary, e.g., most grazing land in forests.
 iv. Pastoral silviculture: Pasture is a primary component while the tree is
secondary, e.g., grazing lands.

v. Agrosilvopasture: It is a combination of crops trees and pastures. Both

crops land trees are dominant over pasture.

vi. Silvoagropasture: It is a combination of trees, crops and pastures; trees

are dominant over other components.

Fig. Trees in crop field Fig. Trees with fish culture

c. Based on the arrangement of the components:

Arrangement of components can involve the dimensions of space and time.

Based on the arrangements of the components Agroforestry systems can be
classified as:

 In space or spatial arrangement

 In time or temporal sequence

 Vertical stratification of components

i. Classification of Agroforestry systems on the basis of in space or

spatial arrangement:

 Mixed dense: different components are arranged together with high

density, e.g., home garden.

 Mixed sparse: different components are arranged together with low

density, e.g., most systems of trees in pastures, scattered trees on
agricultural lands.

 Strip plantation: width of strip to be more than one tree e.g., Alley
cropping.
 Boundary plantation: trees on edges of plots/fields.

ii. Classification of Agroforestry systems on the basis of in time or

temporal sequence:

 Coincident: it occurs when different crops occupy the land together,

e.g., Tea/Coffee under tree, pasture under trees.

 Concomitant: when different components stay together for certain

period, e.g., Taungya system.

 Intermittent: when annual crops are grown with perennial ones, e.g.,
Rice under coconut trees or other MPTs, seasonal grazing of cattle in
pastures under trees.

 Interpolated: when different components occupy the space during

different times, e.g., Home garden.

 Separate: when components occupy space at different times, e.g.,

improved “fallow‟ species in shifting cultivation.

d. Classification based on stratification:

a. On the basis vertical stratification:

 Single layered: the major components usually grow in one layer or

stored, e.g., tree garden.

 Double layered: the components are grown in two layers, e.g.,

tea/coffee under shade tree.

 Multilayered: different components are grown in different layers, e.g.,

homestead agroforestry.

Fig. A multilayered Agroforestry System

 b. On the basis of spacing

 Dense: The plant population is high per unit area, e.g., monoculture
plantation forest, boundary plantation.

 Scattered: The components are grown sparsely or scattered, e.g.,

agrosilviculture.

 Mixed intercropping: Different components are grown together, e.g.,

growing of field crops and horticultural crops in dryland forest.

B. Functional Classification

On the basis of various functions, the Agroforestry systems are classified into
followings:

a. Productive Agroforestry system: this system refers to the production of

essential commodities, required to meet the basic needs of the society. It
includes intercropping of trees, home gardens, plantation of trees in and
around the crop field, production of animals and fishes in association with
trees. Productive functions are as follows:

 Food  Other woods

 Fodder  Other products

 Fuel wood

b. Protective Agroforestry system: This system refers to protect the land, to

improve climate, reduce wind and water erosion, improve soil fertility, provide
shelter, and other benefits, e.g., windbreaks. Protective functions are as
follows:

 Windbreak

 Shelterbelt

 Soil conservation

 Moisture conservation

 Soil improvement

 Shade (for crop, animal and man)

 Fig. Living fences Fig. Shelter belt

c. Multipurpose agroforestry system: It ensures multipurpose production

through optimizing bot h productive and protective functions, e.g., hedgerow
intercropping, Home garden.

Fig. Home garden (A multipurpose Agroforestry System)

C. Physiognomic Classification

Physiognomic classification is based on the characteristics of vegetation in

relation to water. This classification includes the following system:

i. Hydromorphic agroforestry system: It refers to agroforestry in the wet

lands or in waterlogged areas, e.g., acquaforestry, paddy cultivation with
fish culture.
 ii. Xeromorphic agroforestry system: It is the dryland agroforestry in arid
and semiarid areas, e.g., Agroforestry practices in Africa.

iii. Mesomorphic agroforestry system: It is the agroforestry system where

water is available in optimal quantity, e.g., Agroforestry followed in
Bangladesh.

D. Ecological Classification

The Agroforestry system is related to various ecological factors. It can be

classification on the basis of important ecological parameters (climatic, edaphic and
physiographic ones). On the basis of ecological parameters, it can be classified as:

a) Tropical: vegetation in extreme climate, such as, high temperature, low

humidity, and scarcity of water etc., e.g., Tropical silvopasture.

b) Sub-tropical: vegetation in suitable climatic condition, e.g., Agroforestry

practices in the sub-tropical regions including Bangladesh.

c) Temperate: vegetation in low temperature, e.g., silvopasture or pastoral

silviculture in temperate regions.

d) Sub-alpine: vegetation in lo w and medium mountainous regions, e.g.,

natural or artificial forest vegetation in low or medium mountains.

e) Alpine: vegetation in high mountainous regions, e.g., natural forest vegetation

in high altitude.

E. Socio-economic Classification

On the basis of socio-economic considerations, the Agroforestry systems are

classified as:

a) Subsistence Agroforestry system: It aims at meeting the basis needs of

small family having less holding and very little capacity for an investment.
There may be some marginal surplus production for sale, e.g., shifting
cultivation, scattered trees in the farms, homestead Agroforestry.

b) Commercial Agroforestry system: It refers to large-scale production on

commercial basis. The main consideration is to sale the products, e.g.,
tea/coffee under shade tree.

c) Intermediate Agroforestry system: It is an intermediate between

commercial and subsistence systems. It is practiced on small medium sized
farms. The system aims at the production of items, which are not only enough
to meet the needs of the family, but to earn money the surplus can be sold.
 The socio-economic Agroforestry system may further be classified on the basis of
management and technology used.

On the basis of management:

i. Intensively managed system: Agroforestry systems are intensively

managed for more production per unit area, e.g., Home gardens, trees
with agricultural crops.

ii. Extensively managed system: It includes shifting cultivation,

silvopasture, pastoral silviculture etc. Production is less here.

On the basis of technology:

i. Low technology system: the technology used in this system is primitive

as shifting cultivation.

ii. High technology system: This system depends on modern technology

for production of forest and agricultural crops, e.g., Use of tissue culture in
forest management.

iii. Intermediate technology system: This system is an intermediate

between low and high technology system, e.g., agrosilviculture.

F. Classification based on utilization of land

a) Homestead agroforestry: Production of MPTs in homestead.

b) Forestland agroforestry: Production of crops in the vacant spaces of the

forest.

c) Crop-farm-forestry: Production of crops and trees in the crop land.

d) Fish-farm-forestry: Production of fishes and trees in the fish farm.

e) Animal-farm-forestry: Production of animals with forest trees.

i. Poultry-farm-forestry: Farming of poultry birds and trees.

ii. Dairy-farm-forestry: Farming of cattle and trees.

iii. Beef cattle-farm-forestry: Farming of beef cattle and trees.

iv. Goat-farm-forestry: Farming of goats and trees.

 f) Integrated-farm-forestry: Production of crops, animals, fishes along with
trees.

g) Road side agroforestry: Production of deep rooted tall trees with narrow
canopies and soil building grasses or crops along the sides of roads,
highways, railways and embankments.

h) Public place agroforestry: Production of suitable trees only or along with

decorative herbs, vegetables in place like markets, premises of school,
college, university, etc.

Advantages of Agroforestry Systems

What are the advantages of agroforestry?

Agroforestry belongs to sustainable farming practices. The practice is based

on ecological principles that are observed in natural ecosystems. Trees greatly help
to mitigate negative effects of modern agriculture on the environment. They offset
pollution from farms and make food production systems more resilient.

Despite the beliefs of conservative farmers who claim that this practice cannot
sustain needs of the world’s growing population, plenty of evidence suggests
otherwise. Agroforestry systems have capacity to simultaneously generate food,
biomass and raw products that can be utilized in other economic activities. They
encourage diversification of the rural economy and create new socio-economic
opportunities for rural populations, especially for the world’s poorest that are often
challenged by the lack of jobs and resources.

Some advantages of Agroforestry

There are lots of benefits of agroforestry which are valuable mankind. Some
important advantages are given below:

 It increases the productivity and enhances the profit also.

 It also helps in increases the security of the yield.
 It increased the fertility of soil and also helpful in preventing the soil erosion.
 Source of protection for the animals and plants form different types of hazard.
 It also helps in maintaining the cycle such a nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, etc.
 Conserve energy
References:

https://hasanuzzaman.weebly.com/uploads/9/3/4/0/934025/classification_of_af_syst
em.pdf

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199363445/obo-
9780199363445-0086.xml

https://greentumble..com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-agroforestry/