We often find higher moisture under trees when grown together with crops (e.g. maize) as compared to open crop field (e.g. maize monoculture). Similarly we often observe crop yield reduction under trees. While some literature take the higher soil moisture under trees as an advantage, others take it as an indicator for poor performance of crops under trees. Any good paper with empiric evidence in arid and humid regions?
- your question is very interesting ,i liked it . First, you should convince yourself with the concept of 'agroforestry ' as it is complex in nature . soil moisture under trees as can be both advantage and disadvantage . i.e it depends on different components in tree-soil relation (eg. the crop type, management of trees, soil type and management ,watershed interventions ,agro-ecology, season etc .....)
I like it too. In my experience soil moisture under trees in pastoral agroforestry is sometimes higher and sometimes lower that in the open pasture. It is higher in the latter part of the growing season when the tree canopy keeps the soil and pasture cooler and evaporation is slower. Pasture grows more under the trees in this situation. I say this is facilitation, as measured sapflow in the tree is not reduced and pasture growth is enhanced. Under less water stressed, heat stressed conditions pasture growth and feed quality in the open exceeds that of pasture in the shade. One up for the trees?
Organic matter recycling in forest soil and mosture conservation is more in organic matter rich soil.In canopy of forest radiation of sun light is limited Within the forest due to sufficient nutrients from organic matter and ample mosture conservation by organic forest soil; vegetative growth of plant is enormous but due to lack of solar radiation 0f about 678 calories grains and fruit production is limited. So,yield per unit area of forest land is limited by cereal and vegetables crops . So, low photosensitive crops like turmeric,ginger, meditional plants cultivation etc.should be encouraged under forest land.
Dear Ian, any literature on your shared experience?
I also agree with you in the context of silvopastoral systems. However, in crop-tree systems, high moisture content under tree-crops vs open could indicate less transpiration of crops, lower/slow crop growth and eventually poor yields. But again as Ashok mentioned, the effect is crop specific, wheat and other photosensitive crops could benefit from the prolonged higher moisture and elongate their grain filling period which increases crop yields under trees (e.g. Tesfaye et al. 2017 Climate-smart agroforestry: Faidherbia albida trees buffer wheat against climatic extremes in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia ).
Agroforestry sytem of cultivation deep-rooted plant followed by shallow rooted plant may be suitable for tropical to subtropical climate helpful to increase humidity in the environment of crops cultivation increase vigetation for more phosynrhesis of crops with prolonged duration of crops with less evapotranspiration of crops increase yield of crops per unit area of land. So,water use efficiency know as the ratio of dry matter production to water requirement will be better agroforestry system of cultivation.So, agroforestry sytem of cultivation may be encouraged to increase forest area optimum about 30 percent at present about 18 percent to mitigate global warming with climate change process in the planet earth.
Yield reduction in agroforesry is not sole on the basis of moisture but light intensity or light availability to crop . obviously maize a light demanding species need light for yield and moisture even more will not help it. I general moisture under agroforestry is more than open and has a positive role in growth of under crop provided there is sufficient light otherwise may be negative if total shade with high moisture will have insect pest incidence and low photosynthetic activity.
In tropical and subtropical countries of world in waste land agrohorticuture forestry system of cultivation may be encouraged with deep rooted crop following shallower rooted crop to increase humidity in the atmosphere for better vegetation of dry land crops like maize,Jowar,Bajra, wheat, pulses,oilseeds ,crop suitable for biodesel like Jatropha,caster,sal, Neem,Karenj , meditional plants etc .may ba selected for economic viability of waste land to crops land with increasing forest area to mitigate global warming with climate change process in the planet earth.
I can suggest you one that shows higher vegetation increase in north facing slopes than southern slopes in afforestation and open forest covers and relates that with SOC and TN. However, I think the shadow produced by trees and the subsequent higher humidity and lower temperature could be favourable or not depends on your climate region and the soil type of your study area.
I hope this will help you.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816218303874#!
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In tropical and subtropical countries of the world like south Asia and Africa viability of waste land with agro-horticulture-forestry system of cultivation may be encouraged to increase forest area along with better'cultivation of crops with utilisation of waste land to. increase area under sutainable crop production to provide food,fiber,fuel, shelter for the ever growing population of planet earth which may mitigate global warming with climate change process in SAVE THE EARTH MISSION.
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