Performance of Agricultural and Vegetable Crops under Kadam (Anthocephalus kadamba) Based Agroforestry System

Abstract

Agroforestry integrates trees with crops to improve sustainability, resilience, and farm income while conserving resources, and Kadam-based systems in India enhance soil health and economic returns despite some yield trade-offs. A field experiment was conducted during 2020-21 to evaluate the effect of Kadam (Anthocephalus kadamba) on growth, physiology and yield performance of agricultural crops (wheat, barley and mustard) and vegetable crop (potato) under agroforestry system. Six-month-old kadam seedlings were transplanted at 7×3 m spacing, and intercrops including wheat (HD-2967), barley (BH-393), mustard (RH-30) and potato (Kufri bahar) were grown during Rabi season. Growth parameters of kadam showed substantial increase in height (0.41-2.88 m) and basal diameter (0.64-6.31 cm) from July,2020 to April,2021. Crop performance under kadam based agroforestry and sole cropping systems indicated largely non-significant differences in plant height, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance. Wheat yield was slightly reduced under kadam (4.31 t/ha) compared to control (4.97 t/ha), with a benefit-cost (B:C) ratio of 1.36 and 1.57, respectively. Barley and mustard also recorded marginal yield reductions under kadam based agroforestry system. Potato exhibited minor variations in growth traits, with tuber yield of 93.88 q/acre under kadam based agroforestry system compared to control (109.29 q/acre), corresponding to B:C ratios of 0.97 and 1.13. Overall, kadam based agroforestry demonstrated compatibility with intercrops, maintaining positive net returns despite modest yield reductions. Despite modest declines in crop yields, the system maintained positive economic returns, highlighting its compatibility with intercrops. The integration of kadam, a fast-growing timber species, with food crops demonstrates potential for sustainable land use, offering ecological stability and economic resilience in diversified farming systems.