Abstract
India's long tradition of agroforestry has been influenced by numerous religious, social, and economic factors. Several indigenous agroforestry systems, based on peoples' needs and site-specific characteristics, have developed over the years. Agroforestry research was initiated in the country about two decades ago; since then, considerable progress has been achieved. The interactions between and among the tree, crop, grass, and animal components have been studied, and several agroforestry technologies have been developed and tried on farmers' lands. Agroforestry research is now conducted under the auspices of the All India Coordinated Agroforestry Research Project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at 31 centers distributed over India's tropical and temperate regions. In addition to research, the program includes agroforestry training of farmers, technicians, and scientists at 28 centers throughout the country. Expectations from agroforestry are high in India in both rural and urban areas; these expectations include production benefits that are in harmony with the ecology, environment, traditions, and heritage of the country.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Chinnamani S (1992) Second Annual Group Meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Agroforestry: Coordination and Annual Report 1990–1991. ICAR, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, India, 61 pp
Government of India (1989) Agroclimatic Regional Planning (An Overview). Planning Commission, Government of India, New Delhi
ICAR (1981) Proceedings Agroforestry Seminar, held at Imphal. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India
ICAR (1990) All India Coordinated Research Project on Agroforestry Biennial Report (1987–89). Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India
Kumar A and Abrol IP (1984) Studies on the reclaiming effect of Karnal grass and Para grass grown in highly sodic soil. Indian J Agric Sci 54: 189–193
Mittal SP and Singh P (1989) Intercropping field crops between rows ofLeucaena leucocephala under rainfed conditions in northern India. Agroforestry Systems 8: 165–172
Nair MA and Sreedharan C (1986) Agroforestry farming systems in the homesteads of Kerala, South India. Agroforestry Systems 4: 339–363
Nair PKR (1979) Intensive Multiple Cropping with Coconuts in India: Principles, Programmes and Prospects. Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin
Nair PKR (1983) Agroforestry with coconuts and other tropical plantation crops. In: Huxley P, ed, Plant Research and Agroforestry, pp 79–102 ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya
Nair PKR (1993) The state-of-the-art of agroforestry research and education. Agroforestry Systems 23: 95–119 (this issue)
Nair PKR and Dagar JC (1991) An approach to developing methodologies for evaluating agroforestry systems in India. Agroforestry Systems 16: 55–81
Rao MR, Sharma MM and Ong CK (1990) A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semiarid India using a two-way systematic design. Agroforestry Systems 11: 243–258
Shankarnarayan KA, Harsh LN and Kathju S (1987) Agroforestry in the arid zones of India. Agroforestry Systems 5: 69–88
Sharma AK, Dagar JC and Bandyopadhya AK (1990) Fodder Resources of Bay Islands. Research Bulletin No 3. Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, India
Singh G (1990) Effects of irrigation onProsopis juliflora and soil properties of an alkali soil. International Tree Crops Journal 6: 81–99
Singh G, Abrol IP and Cheema SS (1988) Agroforestry on alkali soil: effect on planting methods and amendments on initial growth, biomass accumulation and chemical composition of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.) with inner-space planted with and without Karnal grass (Deplachne fusca (Linn) P. Beauv.) Agroforestry Systems 7: 135–160
Singh GB (1987) Agroforestry in Indian subcontinent: past, present and future. In: Steppler HA and Nair PKR, eds, Agroforestry: A Decade of Development, pp 117–138, ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya
Singh RP, Van den Beldt RJ, Hocking D and Korwar GR (1989) Alley Farming in the semiarid regions of India. In: Kang BT and Reynolds L, eds, Alley Farming in the Humid and Sub-humid Tropics, pp 108–122. International Development Res Centre, Ottawa, Ont, Canada
Tejwani KG (1987) Agroforestry practices and research in India. In: Gholz HL, ed, Agroforestry: Realities, Possibilities and Potentials, pp 109–136. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chinnamani, S. Agroforestry research in India: a brief review. Agroforest Syst 23, 253–259 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00704919
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00704919