Peach based agroforestry systems in degraded foothills of north-western Himalayan region

Abstract

The investigation revealed that peach orchard can be raised successfully even on degraded land by adopting site specific agrotechnique. The porous profile with only 60 cm top soil depth (T3) favoured better vegetative vigour of peach plants as compared to those sites having soil only throughout the profile (T4 and T5). The drip system of irrigation had good response on plant survival but overall plant vigour was not influenced much in juvenile peach plants compared to rain fed control under humid subtropical climate. Introduction of urd (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. T-9) in kharif and toria (Brassica campestris [B. campestris var. toria] cv. Pant-303) in rabi season was a compatible combination with peach plantation but growing of annual crops particularly rabi season crop was uneconomical on highly gravely sites (80% gravels distributed throughout profiles-T2). The yield of groundstorey crops were affected by rainfall distribution pattern during crop growing period coupled with canopy cover of the overstorey component but there was no any adverse effect of groundstorey crops on peach plantation. By this rotation, a net income of Rs 9068/- ha- can be obtained every year under rainfed conditions. The yield and net income were increased with increasing depth of top soil in the profiles.