Do Van, Hung
- Institutionen för växtproduktionsekologi, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
Sammanfattning
On sloping land, agroforestry can be a more sustainable way to produce food andother products and services than sole-crop cultivation of crops. This thesis examinedwhether fruit tree-based agroforestry on smallholder farms on sloping uplands canhave a positive impact on sustainability. Production, soil conservation, profitability,tree-crop performance, spatial variation in resource distribution and the impact ofdifferent weed management strategies were assessed in agroforestry systems (4-7years old) comprised of fruit trees, crops (maize, coffee) and fodder grass on slopinguplands (slope ranging from 27 to 65%) in northwest Vietnam. Sole-crop trees andcrops were used as controls. The results showed that agroforestry gave more diverseproducts and higher profitability than sole-crop systems, but also higher initialinvestment costs. Inclusion of tree-grass strips in agroforestry contributed toformation of terraces that prevented/reduced soil erosion and related losses of soilorganic carbon (SOC) and plant nutrients. Crop growth and yields were higher aboveand between grass/tree rows than below. SOC and plant nutrients tended toaccumulate/increase above tree-grass rows over time within agroforestry systems.Hand hoeing to complement or replace herbicide-based weed control proved to bebetter in supporting tree growth, increasing crop and fruit production and reducingweed abundance, which partly compensated for the high cost of manual weed controlin agroforestry. Thus, agroforestry comprising fruit trees, grass strips and cropscould be a viable option for sustainable agricultural production on sloping uplands,through improving profitability and soil conservation compared with sole trees orcrops. To optimise tree/crop yield in such agroforestry systems, adaptivemanagement is needed to reduce competition and improve spatial resourceavailability. Wider adoption will require initial incentives or loans, knowledgeexchange and market links.
Nyckelord
ecosystem services; fruit tree-based agroforestry; grass strips; profitability; resource competition; spatial resource distribution; strategies; systems improvement; tree/crop yield; uptake and expansion; weed management
Publicerad i
Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2023, nummer: 2023:63
Utgivare: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU författare
UKÄ forskningsämne
Skogsvetenskap
Jordbruksvetenskap
Publikationens identifierare
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.5cjj68621c
- ISBN: 978-91-8046-178-8
- eISBN: 978-91-8046-179-5
Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/122684