Upscaling fodder tree integration in humid tropical agroforestry systems–Prospects and constraints

Abstract

Shortage of quantity and quality feed coupled with increasing feed cost are the key constraints to sustain and improve productivity of smallholder livestock integrated agroforestry systems of the humid tropics in India. Hence, fodder production needs to be intensified in cropping systems by introducing alternate fodder sources like nutrient rich fodder trees to supplement conventional fodder. Inspite of their multifarious benefits, fodder tree farming has not gained its due popularity among livestock farmers owing to limited land resources, lack of awareness on tree fodder, their management and utilization, low biomass yields, difficulty in harvesting and lack of institutional, extension and credit support. Integration of fast growing tree fodders like Gliricidia, Calliandra, Mulberry, Kadamba, Erythrina, Leucaena, Sesbania and Moringa in the form of high density fodder banks in the vailable interspaces of agroforestry systems like homesteads, coconut and other tree based plantations, farm bunds and boundaries and in combination with other crops can address many of the current constraints for ensuring quality forage from limited land area at cheap cost. In addition, expansion of high density tree cover as hedges in cropping systems could be aprudent approach for mitigation of global warming via carbon sequestration and methane emission reduction from ruminants fed with forages, soil improvement andother associated ecological benefits viz. revival of b odiversity and sustainability of humid tropical regions, which has been dwindling at alarming rates in recent decades due to socio-economic changes. However, upscaling tree fodder in land crunch multi-tiercropping systems in the humid tropics of India remains a challenging task, which needs the concerted efforts by researchers, policy makers, implementing agencies, extension workers and farmers to make site-specific interventions to disseminate and scale out the proven successful technologies by provision of technical knowhow, adequate quality planting materials, credit support, infrastructure facilities for production, value addition and preservation along with the provision of incentives to farmers for facilitating the ecosystem services through tree integration in Agroforestry systems