Assessment of agroforestry systems existing in farmers field of Narsinghpur district (Madhya Pradesh)

Abstract

Agroforestry systems are becoming popular among farmers due to their multiple products and their ability to improve soil productivity and income. Various agroforestry systems have been adopted by farmers in their fields and field bunds. The present study assesses the adoption level of existing agroforestry systems by farmers. A total of 135 farmers from three blocks of Narsinghpur district in the Central Narmada Valley Agroclimatic Zone of Madhya Pradesh were selected using a multistage random sampling method. An extensive survey was conducted to document tree and crop preferences, reasons for adoption, problems associated with agroforestry, and awareness of tree farming using a pretested questionnaire, with data recorded from small, medium, and large farmers. Results indicated that most small farmers practiced the Horti-Agri system (10.37%), while medium (8.15%) and large (8.89%) farmers practiced the Silvi-Agri system. The primary motive for adopting agroforestry was to obtain multiple products (20.74%) to improve livelihood security. After adopting fourteen different agroforestry systems, most farmers reported shade effects (25.19%) on crop yield as the major constraint. Based on landholdings, small, medium, and large farmers adopted bund plantations (30.37%, 14.07%, and 16.30%) and block plantations (2.96%, 1.132%, and 1.71%), respectively. The study concludes that farmers are increasingly inclined toward adopting diverse agroforestry systems.