Agroforestry Systems and Cooking Energy Scenario in Gullied Watershed- a case study

Abstract

A bench mark survey was conducted through questionnaire in a gullied watershed along the river Uttangan, a tributary of river Yamuna in Fatehabad Tehshil of Agra district (UP) to find out the agro-forestry systems at farmers' field and energy source and its consumption and deficit. It was observed that farmers are growing trees on the field boundaries but not in the fields with agricultural crops. The dominant tree species grown on field boundaries were Acacia (Acacia nilotica), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), Neem (Azadirachta indica) and ber (Zizyphus mauritiana). The total energy requirement for the 2384 farm families in the watershed was 34718.8 million kilo calories. Out of which 25666.2 million kilo calories was met out from the bye- product of farm produce and fuel collected from the nearby waste land. The energy deficit of 9132.6 million kilo calories could be met out from the agroforestry systems or keeping an area of 9.3% of the watershed under quick growing plantation.