MAXIMIZATION OF LAND USE THROUGH AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN FLOODPLAIN ECOSYSTEM OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Eight field experiments were carried out at the agroforestry research farm of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur during November 2005 to June 2008 to search the suitable agroforestry practices and high productive multistoried agroforestry systems. T’. aman-wheat-mungbean cropping pattern was tested in black siris, guava and mango orchard and multistoried experiment were arranged with goraneem, ipil-ipil, banana, potato and onion. In this experiment, goraneem and ipil-ipil were used as the upper storied tree species and banana was middle storied; where potatoes followed by onion were the lower storied crops. The experiments for T. aman, wheat and mungbean were laid out in a split plot design with three replications. Tree species including one control plot were used as main plot and five (5) varieties of each test crops were assigned in sub plot. Varieties BR 10 (V;), BR 11 (V2), BRRI Dhan 33 (V3), BRRI dhan 39 (V4) and Sorna (local) were used for T. aman; Gourove (Vj), Sourave (V2), Shatabdi (V3), Kanchan (V4) and Protiva (Vs) were used for wheat; BARI Mug 3 (V;), BARI Mug 4 (V2), BARI Mug 5 (V3), BARI Mug 6 (V4) and local varieties (Vs) were used for mungbean. Other experiments for banana, potato and onion in multistoried were arranged in single factor RCBD with three replications.The study showed that various light intensities of different tree species had pronounced effect on the morpho - physiological, yield and yield contributing characters of all tested crop varieties. Considering the yield, yield attributes, HI, LER and BCR values, BR 11 for T.aman, shatabdi for wheat and BARI Mug 6 for mungbean were found superior over other varieties in most of the treatment combinations. Hence, T. amanwheat-mungbean cropping pattern (BR11- Shatabdi - BARI mug 6) in association with mango tree was found highly profitable and sustainable agroforestry practice followed by black siris based T. aman-wheat-mungbean cropping pattern. Guava was not found suitable at all for agroforestry practice especially for tested cropping pattern. Among the different combinations of multistoried systems, goraneem + banana + potato-onion system was found highly productive followed by ipil-ipil + banana + potato-onion, on the basis of LER and BCR. Effect of lower storey crops on the growth performance of MPTs showed that most of the system showed synergistic effect on crops and trees in the first year. In the following years lower storied crop yield reduced due to larger canopy effect but increment of trees enhanced due to lower storied crop management (fertilizer and irrigation) compared to open field. The highest boostering effect was found in goraneem followed by black siris. The soil properties almost remained unchanged. Soil p', calcium and magnesium were slightly increased in the soil of agroforestry systems. The study revealed that Amrapali (mango) based agroforestry using BR 11 — ShatabdiBARI Mug 6 varieties for T. aman, wheat and mungbean, respectively was the best puaatics pe the basis of sustainability evaluation which produced net return of Tk 5.12 lakh hectare” year’! followed by goraneem based ( hana + potato-onion) multistoried production aysteti sata produced Tk 3.21 lakh hectare”! year". The least production (Tk 1.12 lakh hectare’ year") was found from banana grown under ipil-ipil.