Design and Development of Agroforestry Systems in Low Rainfall Regions of India for

Combating Climate Change

M. M. RoyCentral Arid Zone Research Institute,

Jodhpur (Raj.) 342003 INDIA

Low Rainfall Regions in India

Challenges before arid lands

Over-cultivation

Overgrazing

Bad irrigation

practices

Deforestation

DESERIFICATION

• Soil Erosion (Wind & Water)• Vegetation Degradation• Salinization• Mined Spoiled Degradation

THE CHALLENGES

Over-cultivation

Overgrazing

Bad irrigation practices

Deforestation

DESERIFICATION

Periodic droughts debilitate and destabilize poor societies, and contribute to desertification by reducing vegetative cover and water supplies, triggering a desperate exploitation of the remaining resources in order to survive

Map showing ground water withdrawals as percentage of ground water recharge based on state level estimates of annual withdrawals (Source NASA/Matt Rodell)

Depletion of ground water 203

135

49

2510

342127

1126

80 82

12

41

86102

0

50

100

150

200

Safe Semi-critical Critical Over exploited

Year 1984

Year 1998

Year 2002

Year 2004

Drawl as % of Recharge

<= 70% 70-90% 90-100% >100%

Climatic Risks

Increase in temperatures, hot days, hot nights, and heat wavesIncreasing frequency of heavy precipitation events - more droughts and floods

Light to moderate rainfall events (5-100 mm)

Heavy rainfall events (>10cm)

Very heavy rainfall events (>15cm)

Rajasthan: Land use and water resources

Traditional Agro forestry Systems in Hot Arid Regions

Rainfall Zone (mm) Agro Forestry System

Trees / Shrubs (no. / ha)

% Density of Prominent

Species

>400P. cineraria - A. nilotica based (11)* 31.40 81

300 - 400 P. cineraria based (8) 14.20 80

200 - 300Ziziphus spp. - P. cineraria based (6) 91.70 91

<200Ziziphus spp. - P. cineraria - Salvadora spp. based (7) 12.70 87*Values in parentheses are total number of trees &/or shrub species in the

system

Extent of distribution - 60% area of arid western Rajasthan

Prosopis cineraria based traditional agroforestry system

Economics of Traditional Agroforestry Systems of Arid Western Rajasthan

AF system Expenditure (Rs/ha)

Returns (Rs/ha) Grossreturns (Rs/ha)

NetReturns(Rs/ha)

NetB:C ratioCrops

Fuel wood

Leaf fodder

P. cineraria-A. nilotica based

1850 4103 1230 870 6203 4353 2.3

P. cineraria based 1550 3670 600 420 4690 3140 2.0Z. spp. - P. cineraria based

1550 1506 620 600 2726 1176 0.7

Z. spp. - P. cineraria - Salvadora spp. based

1500 1400 500 500 2400 900 0.6

(Base year 2000)

Designing agroforestry systems for multiple benefits in hot arid regions of India

Type Example Benefits

Row Wind break This may be for protecting farm or field, livestock and farmsteads. Carefully designed field windbreaks reduce wind velocity for controlling wind erosion, increase crop quality and production, and improve water use efficiency, control energy loss and feed intake by livestock, protect and improve human habitat

Contour strips

Plantings consisting of tree/shrub rows on the contour or cross-slopes. This reduces sheet and rill water erosion, increase sediment deposition and convey excess water at a controlled grade.

Multi-storey Cropping

System consisting of an over-story of trees or shrubs with an understory of crops or pastures. Well-designed systems yield additional tree based products, improve microclimatic conditions, improve recycling of soil nutrients, reduce excess sub-surface water.

Designing agroforestry systems for multiple benefits in hot arid regions of India

Type Example Benefits

Block Energy plantation

Trees are planted in a block as a separate field within an agricultural or livestock-production operating unit. The tree to tree distance is decided based on product (wood, firewood, top feed etc.) and rotation cycle (generally less than 10-15 years). The primary purpose is to get tree products in close proximity to agricultural or pasture areas to diversify the farm products.

Waste water utilization

A block planting of closely spaced trees and/or shrubs placed downslope from agricultural water or waste sources. The primary purpose is to use excess water by plant uptake, and/or intercept and utilize or sequester waste and other pollutants transported in specific situations.

WINDBREAK-SHELTERBELT A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. Five-row and three-row shelterbelts with staggered planting and in pyramidal shape across the wind direction. Suitable trees and shrubs are Acacia nilotica, Acacia tortilis, Cassia siamea and Prosopis juliflora. Windbreak reduces the wind velocity by 20-40% and soil loss by 76%.

Khejri + Bajra + Mung

Khejri +Mung

TC= 20.31 t C/ha(depth 1 m)

After 10 years

Agroforestry systems(10 year rotation)

Ber + Mung

TC = 18.28 t C/ha (depth 1 m)(after 10 years)

Horti-agri system

Khejri + Cenchrus ciliaris

Carbon assimilation

Tree : 12.37 t C/ha

TC : 35.68 t C/ha (depth 1 m)

Above ground : 19.56 t C/ha

Silvopastoral system (12 year rotation)

Mopane + Cenchrus ciliaris

Carbon assimilation

Tree : 7.96 t C/ha

TC : 28.59 t C/ha (depth 1 m)

Above ground : 18.24 t C/ha

Silvopastoral system (12 year rotation)

Hardwickia binata + C. ciliaris

Carbon assimilation

Tree : 8.78 t C/ha

TC : 32.14 t C/ha (depth 1 m)

Above ground : 21.36 t C/ha

Silvopastoral system (12 year rotation)

Ziziphus based horti-pastures

Dry Grass : 1.55 t/ha

Fuel wood : 2.64 t/ha

Leaf Fodder : 1.87 t/ha

Fruit : 2.77 t/ha

Net return: 15,000/ha

B:C ratio: 2:1

(Spread on 90,000 ha in 350-450 mm rainfall) )))

Ber + Cenchrus ciliaris

TC=24.41 t C/ha(after 10 years) (depth 1 m)

Economics of Improved Horti-pasture (Ziziphus mauritiana + Cenchrus ciliaris)

Product Expenditure (Rs/ha)

Gross returns (Rs/ha)

Net returns (Rs/ha)

Grass 1500 3102 1600Fuel wood 1000 6400 1640Leaf fodder 2250 5610 3360

Ber fruits 13500 22160 8660Total 18250 37272 15260

(Base year 2000)

System/Crop Diversification Models

• Arable cropping (15%), Agroforestry (35%), Agri-horticulture (20%), Agri-pasture (10%), Silvi-pasture (20%)

• Crop Diversification: – Pearl millet (40%), Pulses (30%), oilseed (10%),

cluster bean (20%)• Farm size (Aarea) - 7 ha• Family size - 4-5 adults• Livestock - 2 Cows + 2 Calf

+ 8 Sheep + 8 Goat = 7ACU

The Returns (per ha)

Component Gross returns Expenditure Net income B.C. ratio

Plant 1,85,550 63,000 1,22,550 -

Animal 1,57,700 35,000 1,22,700 -

Other 50,000 - 50,000 -

Total 3,93,250 98,000 2,95,250 4.01

(Base year 2011); WPI = 212.72 (2000)

Northern India

Western India

Central India Southern India

Eastern India0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

Potential (Mg C ha-1)Rate (Mg C ha-1 Yr-1)

C s

eque

stra

tion

Pot

enti

al a

nd R

ate

C Sequestration Potential and Rate in different regions of India under crop production with INM

After Pathak et al (2011)

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

665.00 400.00 360.00 327.00 232.90 200.00

Org

an

ic C

(to

ns

ha-1

)

Rainfall (mm)

Carbon status in arid zone soils

Organic carbon up to 45 cm deep soil profile was estimated in crop land + natural rangeland + forest area with long term average rainfall from 665 mm to 200 mm yr-1(Average of all three systems).

SirohiAnnual Rainfall (mm) 591.8Total C Stock 33.4(0-60 cm) t ha-1

PaliAnnual Rainfall (mm) 539Total C Stock 33.4(0-60 cm) t ha-1

JodhpurAnnual Rainfall (mm) 360Total C Stock 10.9(0-60 cm) t ha-1

BarmerAnnual Rainfall (mm) 277Total C Stock 10.7(0-60 cm) t ha-1

JaisalmerAnnual Rainfall (mm) 165Total C Stock 7.4(0-60 cm) t ha-1

C status of the arid soils

Soil organic carbon status of different Systems in arid region prevailing at Jodhpur (after 22 years)

Systems Carbon Sequestered in soil (0-60 cm)(t/ha/y)

Pasture Grasses 0.52

Sole trees 0.72

Silvi-pasture 0.98Continuous cropping 0.36

Trees and Microclimate ModerationModeration of air temperature beneath tree

cover: Monsoon period (07.00 hrs): 0.1ºC to 0.7ºC; Monsoon period (14.00 hrs): 0.6ºC to 2.0ºC.

Moderation of soil temperature beneath the tree cover: top soil (10ºC to 16ºC); 0-30 cm (4ºC to 5ºC).

22 per cent higher humidity under canopy of A. tortilis (agri-silviculture system involving cluster bean) in comparison to open field condition.

Feed Blocks Feeding on Feed Blocks during ScarcityFeed Block preparation and utilization of P. juliflora pods

Diversified agroforestry system designed and developed on a farmer’s fields (4.5 ha) at Village Manaklaw (Jodhpur)

Ber orchards (750 trees); Also a a ber nursery

Peripheral Trees: A. tortilis, P. juliflora and others: Inside Trees: Prosopis cineraria, Tecomella undulata and Azadirachta indica

Crop Area: one ha (Pearl millet)

Pasture Species: Three ha (Cenchrus ciliaris)

Animals: Eight goats (without purchasing any kind of fodder)

Farm waste used to prepare compost within the system

Attributes of Diversified agroforestry system(30+ years)

 

Ber fruits/y (10.7 t ha-1)

Dry fuel wood/y (4 t ha-1)

Fodder/y (2.4 t ha-1 )

Employment (331 man-days/ha/y)

Recognized self-contained system (also by UNCCD)

Common Land and Poor Livestock Keepers

Experiences from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh

Source: FES 2009

Regenerated Com-mons (Avg Rajasthan)

Other Commons (Raj) Regenerated Commons (Avg

MP)

Other Commons (MP)0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

3.4

1

3.95

0.950000000000001

Comparison of Fodder availability from Regenerated and Other Commons

(t/ha)

Agroforestry based interventions (low carbon farming strategy) have promise in hot arid regions of the country for providing consistent economic returns along with and environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration.

They need promotion through various appropriate schemes in operation in this region.

Conclusion

Schemes & AF Systems

Schemes

• Wasteland development

• Watershed development

• Dry degraded soils• Salt affected soils• Water logged soils

AF Systems

Agroforestry/silvo-pasture systems

Rehabilitation & restoration of degraded lands/mine spoils

Afforestation & reforestation through planting the nitrogen fixing tree species

Plantation on field boundaries Shelterbelts/Windbreaks

Use of non-conventional sources of energy for agriculture/agroforestry

Effective management and utilization of CPRs, degraded lands, grasslands/grazing lands and agriculture lands

Adequate incentives to farmers for the cause of their environmental services

A policy to facilitate establishment of carbon markets for farmers/other stake holders for better adoption of climate friendly management practices

Future Thrusts

Thanks….