Merits and Demerits of Tree Crop Combinations

Abstract

A proverb in India says, “Farming without tree culture is incomplete”. There has been a practice of growing one or the other tree species with agricultural crop for multipurpose uses. Farmers from time immemorial are in the habit of planting various economic tree species on the field bunds, corners of field or sporadically or zonally or sequentially for fuel, fodder, fruits, fertilizers (manure), finance and timber. A rigorous selection has been imposed by the farmers in the past as regards to their suitability in respect of supplementary / complimentary efforts or competitive nature. The goal was to realies higher economic returns from these combinations. Along with tree-crop combinations some drought tolerant grass species were also introduced with an objective of arresting soil loss, enhancing soil moisture and to harvest fodder for the cattle. In olden days each village had its own Gauthana (grazing area) which is fast disappearing and pressure is being built on forest areas as cattle graze in the forest. As a result, forests are getting degraded and the ecosystem is being disturbed coupled with this kind interference, man in his zest to cultivate more and more area to produce required food, fodder, fuel etc. is causing further degradation. The increased and continuous deforestation has resulted in serious scarcity of fuel for the rural households. Consequently village women have to trek long distances under harsh conditions for final collection. All most half to three fourth day is spent by human in the collection of fuel every day. It is sheer waste of human resources. Concomitantly the practices of burning crop residues and other organic wastes are increasing to meet out the daily needs of fuel for cooking, heating water and other purposes. This has resulted in the non-availability of organic matter to cultivable land considering the various faces of the problems, therefore, and absolute need to incorporate one or other tree species along with cultivated crops, which may help to meet the human, animal and land needs.