Evaluation of wheat-paddy cropping system under Poplar and Eucalyptus based Agroforestry System
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Date
2016-08
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College of Forestry, Ranichauri, V.C.S.G. Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry.
Abstract
The study entitled “Evaluation of wheat-paddy cropping system under Poplar and Eucalyptus based agroforestry system” conducted
during 2015-2016 in Haridwar and Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. The objectives were: to study the effect of open farming and poplar and
eucalyptus based agroforestry system on soil properties, to study the morphological attributes of poplar and eucalyptus under selected
agroforestry system and to study the yield attributes of wheat and paddy crop under open farming and poplar and eucalyptus based agroforestry
system. A field experiment was carried out on farmers field at three different sites viz. S- I (Bedpur) Haridwar district, S-II (Jollygrant) and SIII (Dudhli) Dehradun district. The field experiments consisted of four treatments namely D1 (2 m distance from the tree base), D2 (4 m
distance from the tree base), D3 (6 m distance from the tree base) and open (control) condition was laid out in RBD with three replications to
study the effect of sites and distance from tree base on growth and yield of paddy (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) under Populus
deltoids and Eucalyptus tereticornis tree species.
The experimental result demonstrated that the pH of soil was in slightly acid to slightly basic range. The soil organic carbon was low
to medium in range. The available nitrogen was low in range while available phosphorus and potassium were in a range of medium to high and
low to medium, respectively. The availability of nutrients were in a decreasing order of D3 > D2 >D1 > Control. The maximum available
nutrients were recorded at Site I followed by Site II and minimum at Site III. The poplar tree growth revealed that annual increment of height
was recorded maximum (1.00 m) at Site II and minimum at Site I (0.72 m) whereas, annual increment for dbh was maximum (1.08 cm) at Site
I and minimum (0.70 cm) at Site II. For crown width maximum annual increment was recorded (0.41m3) at Site I and minimum (0.33 m3) at
Site III. The annual increment for tree volume was maximum (0.02 m3) at Site III and minimum (0.01 m3) at Site I and Site II. For eucalyptus
tree growth, annual increment of height and crown width was recorded maximum (1.12 m) and (0.61 m) at Site III followed by (1.01 m) and
(0.52 m) Site II and minimum (0.83 m) and (0.48 m) at Site I, respectively. Annual increment of dbh was recorded maximum (0.02 m3) at Site
I and minimum (0.01 m3) at Site III and Site II. At Site I the highest grain yield of paddy and wheat (50.43 q ha-1), (43.17 q ha-1) under poplar
and (48.43 q ha-1 ), (36.68 q ha-1) under eucalyptus based AF system was obtained at D3, respectively whereas lowest yield of paddy and wheat
(42.53 q ha-1), (37.54 q ha-1) under poplar and (41.50 q ha-1), (32.56 q ha-1) under eucalyptus plantation at D1, respectively. Grain yield
gradually increase with increase in distance from the tree base and recorded maximum at control condition (52.40 q ha-1) for paddy and (46.44
q ha-1) for wheat under poplar and (51.46 q ha-1), (40.74 q ha-1) under eucalyptus plantation, respectively. The plant height, yield attributes,
straw yield and biological yield was also recorded maximum at Site I in control condition followed by D3, D2 and minimum at D1. The
minimum plant height, yield attributes and yield (grain, straw, biological yield) of paddy and wheat was recorded at Site III. At all three sites,
maximum yield was obtained at control (open) condition while under poplar and eucalyptus based agroforestry system, the yield was in a
decreasing order of D3 > D2 > D1.
In a nutshell, the study provides that Poplar and Eucalyptus based agroforestry system has contributed substantially to the
ecological, economic and social function, resultantly farmers are extensively adopting the poplar-crop and eucalyptus-crop combinations to
diversify the traditional paddy-wheat crop rotation, thus increasing the tree cover as well.