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<p>Agroforestry is increasingly recognized as a climate-resilient land-use strategy for strengthening livelihood security and ecological sustainability in semi-arid regions. Smallholder farmers in Bundelkhand, India, face persistent challenges of water scarcity, soil degradation and climate variability, requiring science-backed models for sustainable intensification. This study evaluated the survival, growth performance, and spacing responses of three fast-growing multipurpose tree species <i>Gmelina arborea, Neolamarckiacadamba,</i> and <i>Melia dubia</i> established through 15 farmer-managed Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) in two villages, complemented by a controlled trial to benchmark intrinsic species performance. Baseline soil properties, farmer-level management variability, and cropping histories were incorporated as covariates to ensure robust inference under heterogeneous field conditions. Results revealed pronounced species site interactions. <i>N. cadamba</i> exhibited the most stable survival (~ 60%) across both villages, reflecting its high adaptability to semi-arid conditions. <i>M. dubia</i> showed exceptional growth in village 1(up to 1700–2100&#xa0;cm in three years) but displayed strong sensitivity to soil moisture and microclimatic variation, whereas <i>G. arborea</i> performed uniformly well in village 2, achieving the highest height increments under local edaphic conditions. Spacing significantly influenced system performance: closer spacing (5&#xa0;m × 3&#xa0;m) enhanced overall productivity and yielded the highest Combined Performance Index (CPI = 0.554) by maximizing tree height while maintaining acceptable intercrop yields. Wider spacing improved chickpea and lentil productivity but reduced system-level output. Tree–crop correlation analysis indicated negative associations with chickpea (r = –0.31) due to shading and competition, while lentil exhibited positive correlations (r =  + 0.42), highlighting crop-specific compatibility with growing tree canopies. Overall, findings underscore that species-site matching, spacing optimization, and farmer-driven management is critical to scaling climate-resilient agroforestry. The Smart Agroforestry (SAF) approach demonstrated here provides actionable insights for enhancing productivity, ecological restoration, and livelihood diversification, contributing directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in drought-prone regions like Bundelkhand.</p>

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Smart agroforestry interventions for enhancing livelihood and ecological resilience in semi-arid regions

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月17日

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  • Prabhat Tiwari,
  • Garima Gupta,
  • Pankaj Lavania,
  • Soumyajeet Sahu,
  • Preeti Kumari,
  • Manmohan Dobriyal,
  • S. S. Singh,
  • Manish Srivastav,
  • A. K. Singh,
  • Pavan Kumar

摘要

Agroforestry is increasingly recognized as a climate-resilient land-use strategy for strengthening livelihood security and ecological sustainability in semi-arid regions. Smallholder farmers in Bundelkhand, India, face persistent challenges of water scarcity, soil degradation and climate variability, requiring science-backed models for sustainable intensification. This study evaluated the survival, growth performance, and spacing responses of three fast-growing multipurpose tree species Gmelina arborea, Neolamarckiacadamba, and Melia dubia established through 15 farmer-managed Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) in two villages, complemented by a controlled trial to benchmark intrinsic species performance. Baseline soil properties, farmer-level management variability, and cropping histories were incorporated as covariates to ensure robust inference under heterogeneous field conditions. Results revealed pronounced species site interactions. N. cadamba exhibited the most stable survival (~ 60%) across both villages, reflecting its high adaptability to semi-arid conditions. M. dubia showed exceptional growth in village 1(up to 1700–2100 cm in three years) but displayed strong sensitivity to soil moisture and microclimatic variation, whereas G. arborea performed uniformly well in village 2, achieving the highest height increments under local edaphic conditions. Spacing significantly influenced system performance: closer spacing (5 m × 3 m) enhanced overall productivity and yielded the highest Combined Performance Index (CPI = 0.554) by maximizing tree height while maintaining acceptable intercrop yields. Wider spacing improved chickpea and lentil productivity but reduced system-level output. Tree–crop correlation analysis indicated negative associations with chickpea (r = –0.31) due to shading and competition, while lentil exhibited positive correlations (r =  + 0.42), highlighting crop-specific compatibility with growing tree canopies. Overall, findings underscore that species-site matching, spacing optimization, and farmer-driven management is critical to scaling climate-resilient agroforestry. The Smart Agroforestry (SAF) approach demonstrated here provides actionable insights for enhancing productivity, ecological restoration, and livelihood diversification, contributing directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in drought-prone regions like Bundelkhand.