Productivity status of traditional agrisilviculture system on northern and southern aspects in mid-hill situation of Garhwal Himalaya, India

Abstract

The productivity of traditional agrisilviculture system (agricultural crops + trees) was investigated in the northern and southern aspects of mid-hill situation in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India during the 2004–2006. A total of 19 tree species were studied in both northern and southern aspects, out of which 17 tree species were selected in northern aspect and 12 tree species in southern aspect for phytosociological characteristic analysis of trees in agrisilvicultural system. The most dominant tree species are Grewia optiva, Celtis australis and Melia azedarach and successively grown under traditional agrisilviculture system. The results show that the annual productivity of all tree species was 3 775 kg·ha−1·a−1 in northern aspect (site-N) and 3 101 kg·ha−1·a−1 in southern aspect (site-S). G. optiva had the highest productivity in both site-N and site-S among the tree species, followed by M. azedarach, Quercus leucotrichophora and C. australis. The dominant agricultural crops were Eleusine coracana in summer cereals, Phaseolus vulgaris in summer pulses-oilseeds and Triticum aestivum in the winter season in the area. The average biological productivity of agricultural crops in northern aspect was about 16% higher than that in southern aspect under traditional agrisilviculture system. The sole agricultural crop productivity (without trees) in northern aspect was also higher than that in southern aspect. An obvious difference in annual productivity of trees and agriculture crops was observed between northern aspect and southern aspect. The overall productivity in traditional agrisilviculture system (crop + tree) was 24% (in northern aspect) and 21% (in southern aspect) higher than that in sole cropping system.