Introductory Agroforestry

Introduction

Introduction:-


• India is one of the world’s 2nd largest populated country.
• India has huge human population of 125 crore.
• Most of the population (75%) residing in rural area which totally depends upon forest to meet out their energy requirement.
• The demand for fuelwood in India is increasing day by day.
• India’s current firewood consumption is more than 133 million tonnes; most of it is being used in cooking. To cook 1 kg of food 1.2 kg of firewood is required.
• It clearly indicates that India should produce more wood than food if it is to be cooked before it is consumed. The electricity can also be generated by dried wood.
• According to estimate 400 million tonnes of cattle dung equivalent to about 60 million tonnes of fuelwood are burnt annually in our country.
• If this much quantity of cattle dung is incorporated into the soil then it could increase soil productivity.
• Similarly fuelwood is the most significant reason for tree cutting.
• To save forests from degradation, fuel wood tree growing should become part of agriculture through agroforestry in blocks in order to meet out their demands of fuelwood improve the microclimate by means of saving trees in natural forests.
• An energy plantation is one that is grown purely for plant material for their fuel than for fibre content.

Criteria of tree spp. planted for energy plantation:-


• Tree species should be fast growing with high photosynthetic efficiency which results into high yields.
• Tree species should have high coppicing and pollarding capacity.
• Tree species selected to energy plantation should be conical or cylindrical in shape.
• Tree species should have wood of high calorific value, high wood density, dry weight and burns without sparks or toxic smoke.
• Tree species should be able to tolerate incidences of insects, pests and diseases.
• Tree species should have ability in them to reduce transpiration loss in arid areas.
• Tree species should have ability to fix nitrogen, if possible, that can improve soil fertility without having much competition with main crop for soil moisture, sunlight, etc.
• Tree species should be multiple in nature.



Plate 5.1 Eucalyplus Wood Lot Plate 5.2 Casuarina equisetifolia wood lot