CONSERVATION AND PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF AN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM GREY GUM ( EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS) WHITE POPINAC ( LEUCAENA LATISILIQUA) AND TURMERIC ( CURCUMA LONGA)

Abstract

THE PAPER PRESENTS RESULTS OF AN EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED DURING 1986-92 IN THE SHIWALIK FOOTHILLS TO STUDY THE PERFORMANCE OF AN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM INTEGRATING GREY GUM ( EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS SMITH) FOR POLE WOOD ON BORDER ROWS OF 40 X 40 m PLOT , K8 WHITE POPINAC ( LEUCAENA LATISILIQUA(L) GILLIS, SYN L. LEUCOCEPHALA (LAM) . DE /WITH) FOR ORGANIC MULCH AND MANURE IN PAIRED ROWS ALONG THE PLOTS OF SHADE LOVING TURMERIC ( CURCUMA LONGA L. SYN. C . DOMESTICA VAL) . THE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM RECORDED RUNOFF 2.7% , SOIL LOSS 0.54 TONNES/ ha/year WITH MEAN MONSOON SEASON RAINFALL OF 899 mm COMPARED WITH RUNOFF OF 25.4% , SOIL LOSS 3.21 TONNES/ha/year FROM THE FIELD CROPS RAISED UNDER COMPARABLE CONDITIONS. THE TUBER YIELD OF TURMERIC VARIED FROM 0.56 TONNE/ha IN LOW RAINFALL TO 4.73 TONNES /ha IN HIGH RAINFALL YEARS WITH THE MEAN ANNUAL YIELD 2.34 TONNES/ha AND NET RETURN RS 3184 /ha . WHITE POPINAC PROVIDED 290 KG OVEN DRY FOLIAGE IN 4 YEARS FOR MULCHING AND ITS SUBSEQUENT INCORPORATION AND ADDED 91.9, 4.2 AND 44.3 KG/ha OF N,P,K RESPECTIVELY INTO THE SOIL. GREY GUM POLES (380) HARVESTED AFTER 6.6 YEARS GAVE INCOME OF RS 18,380. THE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM GENERATED CASH RETURN OF RS 5,642 /ha/year COMPARED WITH RS 2,997 FROM RAINFED CROPS AND THUS PROVED ECONOMICALLY MORE VIABLE.