Management and benefits of woody species in parkland and homegarden agroforestry systems

Belaynesh Sisay
college of agriculture and natural resourcs scinces,department of natural resourse management

Abstract

Agroforestry systems combine woody perennials that importantly help to produce livestock, fodder, or arable crops on comparable land areas, and thereby structurally and functionally diversifying components and utilizing space more effectively than mono-cropping system. In the meantime, the trees provide a variety of ecological services associated with soil, including improved soil physical, biological, and chemical conditions and increased fertility, food, wood, and fodder. Homegardens and parkland agroforestry systems are examples of traditional agroforestry techniques that offer a variety of input from a variety of plants. Homegarden agroforestry is a structured land-use system that involves the deliberate management of trees and other multipurpose plants within a semi-natural environment. These are integrated with annual and/or perennial crops and, in most cases, livestock within the household compound. The entire tree–crop–animal system is intensively maintained using family labor, forming a closely managed and productive unit around the home. Their complex species variety, composition, and many purposes set them apart. Whereas, the regular presence of mature trees scattered throughout fields or recently farmed ground is known as parkland agroforestry. The key objective of parkland agroforestry system combines multipurpose trees and food crops on the same farmlands to boost soil production. In addition to playing significant ecological roles like improving soil fertility, altering the micro-climate, providing shade, and serving as the focal point of social and cultural values, parkland native trees are the primary source of rural livelihoods. They diversify products, such as  food, medicine, fodder, firewood, and more non-wood forest goods that support rural revenue and food security. The standard management procedures used in the homegarden and parkland agro forestry are thinning, pruning, watering, coppicing, lopping, fertilizing, and protecting, selection of woody species with desirable properties, appropriate spacing, and selection of associated crops and livestock managements. 

Keywords: Agroforestry,Benifet, Homegarden,Managements,Parkland