Evaluation of Agroforestry Practices in Deoghar District, Jharkhand, India
Prashant Kumar
Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
P. R. Oraon
Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
Jai Kumar
Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
Bijay Kumar Singh *
Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study was conducted to know the traditional agroforestry practices followed by farmers in Deoghar district, Jharkhand. The result was indicated that in agrisilviculture practices, Acacia nilotica, Melia azedarach and Dalbergia sisoo were the major tree components and in agriculture crop, Oryza sativa, Zea mays and Arachis hypogaea. In silvipastoral categories, Gmelina arborea, Mangifera indica and Dalbergia sisoo were the major tree component and in grasses, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus scarious. In homegarden practices, M. oleifera, G. arborea and Tectona grandis were main tree components, while in agriculture crop, Cicer arietinum and Brassica oleracea and among horticultural crops, Cocos nucifera, Musa paradisiaca and Mangifera indica. In agrihorticulture category, among agriculture crop, Vigna radiata, Triticum aestivum and in horticultural crop, M. indica, Psidium guajava and Emblica officinalis. In trees along fish pond, major tree crops were T. grandis, Azadirachta indica, Bambusa nutans and different types of grasses was recorded around the fish pond. In all the three blocks, most of the household were interested to grow timber species on their farm and its range varied from 55.50% in Palojori block and 75.00% in Mohanpur block. In Palojori and Sarath block, almost 100% of household was interested to grow horticultural trees. In Mohanpur block, more than 90% of the household was also interested to grow horticultural trees. In overall calculation, 95.41% of the household was interested to grow horticultural trees and 74.50% of the household was interested to grow timber trees on their farm.
Keywords: Agriculture, agrihorticulture, agrisilviculture, horticultural, silvipastoral