Fodder tree species such as Gliricidia sepium are important components of smallholder agroforestry systems in sub-Saharan Africa, helping to address feed shortages and improve livestock productivity. However, their adoption is constrained by poor establishment, limited seed availability due to explosive pod dehiscence and the high cost of nursery-raised seedlings. Vegetative propagation using stem cuttings provides a cost-effective alternative, but information on suitable cutting lengths for G. sepium propagation in Malawi remains limited. This study evaluated the effects of 60, 90 and 120 cm stem cutting lengths on establishment, survival, growth and above-ground dry biomass production over 12 months at the Animal Science Student Farm, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi. Treatments were arranged in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. Establishment and growth were assessed at two-month intervals up to 8 months after planting, while biomass was harvested at 12 months. Data were analysed using linear and generalised linear mixed models and survival analysis. Stem cutting length significantly (p < 0.001) influenced early establishment, growth, survival and above-ground dry biomass production. Although 60 cm cuttings developed true leaves earlier, 90 cm and 120 cm cuttings produced more sprouts and exhibited greater vegetative growth. The 90 cm cuttings had the highest survival probability, lowest mortality risk, highest leaf-to-stem ratio and greatest above-ground dry biomass yield (4.54 t ha⁻1). Overall, 90 cm cuttings provided the most favourable combination of establishment, survival and biomass production, indicating their potential for increasing G. sepium fodder availability in Malawi.
A novel word connecting agriculture and forestry, agroforestry, originated in 1976 with ambitions for radically better land use. At its 50’th anniversary, we reflect on its use in boundary work interfacing governance, people and science. Agroforestry as applied science started with describing the worlds’ farmed lands with trees’ in their eco-geographical and socio-historical context as plot/farm-level agroforestry (‘AF1’). In the 1990’s, attention shifted to the landscape scale AF2 and to a policy scale AF3. Simultaneously, climate-tree-soil-crop interactions, bio-economic, and social-ecological systems were further analysed. Searching in the Google Scholar database for ‘agroforestry’ we selected a 1007 well-cited publications (1979–2025) corpus with a total of 175,081 citations. These publications included AF1 (64
The agronomic production under tree shade conditions or in association is an old practice in which tree crop interactions can influence crop growth and productivity. Tree line distance (TLD) and directional aspects are important components of the tree crop interface because the position of crop rows relative to a tree line can alter the spatial distribution of radiation and the associated crop growing environment. Although tree line distance has been considered in studies of crop performance under agroforestry (AF), the response of paddy to the combined effects of tree line distance and directional aspects has received comparatively less attention in teak-based systems in the region of Chhattisgarh. The present experiment evaluated the effects of TLD and aspect on the growth and yield of paddy under a Tectona grandis-based agroforestry system (AFS) in Bade Urla, Abhanpur, Chhattisgarh. Different TLDs, such as 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 m, were considered as treatments (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5). The crop was laid out in a factorial randomized block design. The study aimed to evaluate the consequences of TLD and its aspects on crop growth and yield in a Tectona grandis-based AFS. The results highlight that the TLD and planting aspect significantly influenced crop growth and yield. Plant height at the harvest phase and the number of tillers per plant varied from 103.40 to 109.70 cm and 3.10 to 5.0, respectively. Dry matter accumulation was 2.32–3.80 g hill−1 across all treatments. Important yield attributes reflected noticeable enhancement with increasing TLD, while crop rows nearest to the TLD showed less growth than those in the reproductive phase. The range of grain yield was 4.03–28.86 q ha−1, and the highest value was recorded for treatment D5. Overall, the results reveal that TLD is an important factor of intercrop performance in the teak-based AFS, and field trial-based suitable spacing is more appropriate for lowering competition than maximizing crop productivity.
The rate of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) loss is now rapidly increasing due to climate change, land-use change, and soil degradation, making a strong case for effective management of carbon stocks in agroecosystems. Agroecosystems are a major contributor to the global carbon cycle, and they are recognized as the most promising land to either act as sources or as sinks for atmospheric carbon. This review critically addresses carbon sequestration processes, SOC dynamics, types of agroecosystems, and sustainable agricultural practices with the view of using such practices for climate change Mitigation and Sustainable agriculture in India. Appropriate literature was screened to critically assess and review different Conservation Agriculture (CA), Agroforestry (AF), Organic Farming (OF), Residue Management (RM), Cover Cropping (CC), and Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practices in promoting carbon storage. It was highlighted that SOC is the largest and most stable terrestrial pool of carbon in nature, vital for soil productivity, fertility, and ecosystem integrity. Sustainable agricultural management practices would increase carbon sequestration through an increase in input of biomass to soil, improved soil structure, and an increase in soil organic activity. Amongst all the studied approaches, Agroforestry (AF) had the highest potential in both vegetation and soil. There was a wide spatial variation of SOC stocks across the country, with the maximum in humid and forest-affected regions followed by semi-arid and arid regions. Indian agroecosystems have a significant potential for carbon sequestration; however, current Estimates indicate that the capacity could vary between 100 and 300 Mt CO2 yr⁻1. The novel aspect of this review is its comprehensive assessment of different SOC stabilization processes, carbon sequestration processes, and various responses of agroecosystems in Indian regions. This paper also addressed the limitations faced in large-scale adoption, such as fragmentation of land, low awareness amongst farmers, and the lack of a credible MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) mechanism. Effective use of Climate-Smart Agriculture, sound policy frameworks, and a sound system of accounting for carbon offsets can increase the level of carbon sequestration, thereby strengthening agriculture.
Solitary trees such as oak (Quercus spp.) play a central ecological role in wood pastures. They alter the surrounding soil and abiotic conditions, with largely unclear consequences for the soil fauna such as earthworms. We investigated how solitary oak trees alter soil properties and whether those alterations impact earthworm communities. Soils and earthworms were sampled across 30 oak-based traditional wood pastures in Transylvania, Romania. At each of the 30 wood pastures, a southern transect was established from the trunk of the focal tree. Four soil profiles were opened along each transect at distances of 1, 3, 7, and 24 m from the tree trunk, resulting in a total of 120 soil profiles, which were described and sampled at three depths: 0–5 cm, 5–25 cm, and 25–45 cm. At each profile location, earthworms from the top 25 cm were hand-sorted from a 25 × 25 cm soil block, providing paired soil and earthworm data. We analysed the contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), soil pH, soil moisture, and bulk density for all three depths. The cover of plant functional groups and litter was visually recorded at all sites. We found the highest SOC content (23.4 ± 7.2 g kg−1) and the widest C:N ratio (10.2) at 1 m from the tree trunk compared with those further away. Soil pH, soil moisture content, and bulk density were similar at all distances from the tree trunk. Earthworm abundance was lowest at 1 m (173.3 ± 31.8 ind m−2) and highest at 24 m (225.1 ± 30.8 ind m−2) distance from the tree trunk, but did not differ significantly with distance from the tree trunk or with any of the analysed soil properties. Earthworm composition, however, varied along the distance gradient, with anecic species occurring closer to the tree trunk and endogeic species dominating the open grassland, though these patterns were only marginal after correction for multiple testing. Our results show that solitary oak trees create distinct chemical fertility islands in wood-pasture topsoils, but this enrichment does not ensure greater earthworm abundance. The findings suggest that organic matter quality and accessibility, rather than quantity alone, may shape the observed functional-group patterns.
