Vegetable Agroforestry System (VAF) research activities

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Vegetable Agroforestry System (VAF) research
activities

• Goal Tree-crop integration on farm with minimal
  negative interaction, thus increasing economic
  profitability, nutrient use efficiency and
  environmental services

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Annual cropping plant soil systems
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VAF research activities

• Goal Tree-crop integration on farm with minimal
  negative interaction thus increasing economic
  profitability, nutrient use efficiency and
  environmental services
• Systems
• Cereal based systems (Claveria site)
• Vegetable based systems (Lantapan site)
• Issues
• Tree-crop matching
• Tree site matching
• Tree-tree matching

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1. Tree-crop matching

• Trees impact on crop growth and productivity
• Tree competitive index
• Tree complementarity index
• Issues
• Indigenous vs exotic species
• Timber trees
• Tree characteristics
• Functional
• Root architecture
• Canopy structure
• Association with mychorriza
• Etc

• Fruit trees
• Tree vegetables

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2. Crop adaptation to the tree environment

• Crop response index (competed or complemented)
• Cereals
• Vegetables

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3. Tree- site matching tree growth
retardation/enhancement factors

• Factors influencing tree performance
• - Elevation (temperature)
• - Soil reaction (acidity/alkalinity)
• - Rainfall (moisture)
• - Management (pruning, fertilization, etc)
• - Intercrop
• - Pest and diseases
• - Soil depth
• - Aspects

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Net benefit T (2y2-2y1)-D
D
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Vegetable Agroforestry System Assumptions

• Integration of trees on farm is only feasible if
  
• Complementarity effect is greater than
  competition effect (Complementarity index gt 1.0)
• The cumulative value of tree products is greater
  than the cumulative values of yield loss and crop
  displacement area (cropped area loss).
• Optimum tree spacing in AF system can be achieved
  when two complementary zones meet, but do not
  overlap

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Eucalyptus- tomato interaction under boundary
planting system
D
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Quantification of these premises

• Premise 1
• Zones of interaction Competition zone,
  complementarity zone and neutral zone
• Tree competitive index Competition zone /neutral
  zone or no tree system (tree vs tree comparison)
• Crop response index Competition zone/ neutral
  zone or no tree system (crop vs crop comparison)
• Complementarity index Complementarity zone/
  competition zone

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• Premise 2
• Net Benefit cumulative value of tree products
  cumulative net yield increase due to the presence
  of trees cumulative values of yield loss due to
  the presence of trees cumulative values of
  equivalent yield of crop displacement area.

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• Premise 3
• In parkland system, distance between trees must
  be equal to the area divided by the distance of
  complementary zone multiplied by the number of
  sides (4)
• In hedgerow intercropping system, distance
  between tree lines must be equal to the area
  divided by the distance of complementary zone
  multiplied by the number of sides (2)
• If complementarity zone does not exist, segregate
  type of agroforestry is favored over integrate
  type.
• If soil erosion is a problem under no
  complementarity environment, the use of slow
  growing natural vegetation strips (NVS) such as
  creeping grasses are more prepared.

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Factors influencing tree-crop interaction
(competition and complementarity)

• Tree functional characteristic (N2-fixing,
  phosphatase activity, mycorrhizal association)
• Root architecture (shallow vs deep rooting
  pattern)
• Canopy type (erect, broad, large, medium)
• Seasonality (shedding off leaves, fruiting, etc)
• Age of trees
• Quality of tree products (timber or fruits)
• Types of crop planted (erect vs broad leaves
  dicots vs monocots)
• Soil fertility
• Soil physical and chemical characteristics
• Seasons (dry or wet season)
• Climate
• Aspects
• Silvicultural management of trees (spacing,
  thinning, pruning, etc)
• Agronomic management of associated crops