Tree crop Interactions in Populus deltoides and Melia composita Based Agroforestry Systems

Abstract

newline The present study entitled Tree-crop Interactions in Populusdeltoides and Melia composita Based Agroforestry Systems was carried out from 2021-22 and 2022-23 at the Experimental Farm of Division of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Chatha, SKUAST Jammu (JandK), India. The study investigated the effect of agroforestry systems on light intensity, growth and yield of intercrop,soil properties, above ground biomass production and carbon stocks of the agroforestry trees. Further, benefit-cost ratio of the agroforestry systems was also evaluated. Turmeric (genotype PH1 andJammu turmeric 09)and cowpea were grown in rotation for 2021-22 and 2022-23 under Melia composita and Populusdeltoides and also as sole crops. The experimental trial was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design.Various crop and soil parameters under Populusdeltoides and Melia composita based agroforestry systems were compared with respective controls (sole crop) using independent t-test. newlineThe results of the study indicated that the monthly average light intensity available to the crop in first crop rotation (2021-22)and second crop rotation (2022-23) followed the trend:control(sole crop)gtMelia compositabased agroforestry systemgtPopulusdeltoidesbased agroforestry system.Further,the monthly average light intensity increased with increase in distance from the Melia composita and Populusdeltoides trees in both the crop rotations. newlineFirst experiment investigated the effect of trees on growth and yield of turmeric(Curcuma longa). There were three factors i.e. two tree species (Populusdeltoides and Melia composita), two turmeric genotype (turmeric PH1 and Jammu turmeric 09) and three distances from tree (P1:lt1m, P2:1-2m and P3:2-3m)with three replications. All the parameters (plant height, length of fingers, fresh weight of rhizome per plant and fresh rhizome yield)were significantly higher inMelia composita based agroforestry than Populusdeltoides based agroforestry system. All the studiedgrowth and yield parameters of turmeric increase with