Adoption of Poplar-based Agroforestry as an Approach for Diversified Agriculture in Punjab

Agroforestry that envisages integration of trees, herbaceous crops and/or animals on the same land unit, holds promising potential in Punjab to diversify traditional rice-wheat rotation. On the basis of information provided by the respondents, it was realized that the farmers with low awareness, unfavourable attitude and constraints (land, technical, financial, legal, social, etc.) are not able to adopt poplar (Populus deltoides)-based agroforestry successfully. In poplar-wheat agroforestry system, growing condition of wheat are modified due to presence of tree and, thus, response of wheat differs than that of tree-less agricultural system. Age of poplar trees is recorded as most important factor influencing wheat grain (var. PBW 343) yield. On an average, reduction in grain yield was 20.10 per cent under one year old poplar plantation, which increased to 54 per cent under four year old plantation. Under irrigated poplar-based agro-ecosystem, light is the major limiting factor for reduction in grain yield.