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Fruit Tree-Based Agroforestry Systems for Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Vietnam—A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment

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Title Fruit Tree-Based Agroforestry Systems for Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Vietnam—A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment
 
Creator Do, V.H.
La, N.
Mulia, R.
Bergkvist, Goran
Dahlin, A.S.
Nguyen, V.T.
Pham, H.T.
Öborn, I.
 
Subject agroforestry systems
small scale farming
ecology
 
Description Rapid expansion of unsustainable farming practices in upland areas of Southeast Asia threatens food security and the environment. This study assessed alternative agroforestry systems for sustainable land management and livelihood improvement in northwest Vietnam. The performance of fruit tree-based agroforestry was compared with that of sole cropping, and farmers’ perspectives on agroforestry were documented. After seven years, longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.)-maize-forage grass and son tra (Docynia indica (Wall.) Decne)-forage grass systems had generated 2.4- and 3.5-fold higher average annual income than sole maize and sole son tra, respectively. Sole longan gave no net profit, due to high investment costs. After some years, competition developed between the crop, grass, and tree components, e.g., for nitrogen, and the farmers interviewed reported a need to adapt management practices to optimise spacing and pruning. They also reported that agroforestry enhanced ecosystem services by controlling surface runoff and erosion, increasing soil fertility and improving resilience to extreme weather. Thus, agroforestry practices with fruit trees can be more profitable than sole-crop cultivation within a few years. Integration of seasonal and fast-growing perennial plants (e.g., grass) is essential to ensure quick returns. Wider adoption needs initial incentives or loans, knowledge exchange, and market links.
 
Date 2020-11-17
2021-04-14T04:17:11Z
2021-04-14T04:17:11Z
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Do, V.H., La, N., Mulia, R., Bergkvist, G., Dahlin, A.S., Nguyen, V.T., Pham, H.T. and Öborn, I., 2020. Fruit Tree-Based Agroforestry Systems for Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Vietnam—A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment. Land, 9(11), 451. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9110451
2073-445X
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113339
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/11/451
https://doi.org/10.3390/land9110451
 
Language en
 
Rights CC-BY-4.0
Open Access
 
Format 451
 
Publisher MDPI AG
 
Source Land