What are the advantages of adopting agroforestry practices?
The advantages of agroforestry are generally threefold: First, when structured properly, combinations of trees, shrubs and ground crops can be more productive than growing equivalent areas of each in monocultures. This is because complementary plant mixtures make better use of the growth potential of the land – a phenomenon known as ‘over-yielding’. Multiple canopy layers improve the capture of sunlight. Similarly, combinations of deep and shallow rooted plants make better use of available soil water and nutrients. Other favourable outcomes, such as enhanced nutrient cycling and reductions in pest problems have also been shown in agroforestry systems. The second area of advantage from adopting agroforestry practices is economic and social. Producing multiple commodities can reduce production risks. Diversification may also make better annual use of labour or machinery. Moreover, mixing longer-term forest production with the annual agricultural income offsets the start-up and maintenanc
