Agroforestry farming systems in the homesteads of Kerala, southern India

Abstract

Kerala State on the southwestern coast of India in the tropical humid zone has a predominantly agricultural economy, a very high density of population and therefore high pressure on cultivable land. The farmers there undertake cultivation of an array of crops -tree crops, plantation crops, seasonals and biennials -all in intimate mixtures on the same piece of land around the homesteads. Farm animals and poultry and sometimes fisheries also are essential components of the system. The close association of agricultural crops, tree crops and animals in the homesteads represents an excellent example of sustainable and productive agroforestry homegardens. Optimum utilization of available resources of land, solar energy and technological inputs and an efficient recycling of farm wastes are important characteristics of the systems. This paper attempts to describe and evaluate the systems' stability, productivity and sustainability, and identify its merits and constraints as well as research needs.

Dynamics of Homegarden Structure and Function in Kerala, India

“…In this region the values of homegardens as multi-purpose production systems combining ecological and socioeconomical sustainability are well recognized (Nair and Sreedharan 1986;Jose and Shanmugaratnam 1993;Kumar et al 1994). Various scientists have voiced concern that socioeconomic changes and related adoption of modernised managerial systems cause a negative conversion process of homegardens in this region (Jose and Shanmugaratnam 1993;John and Nair 1999;Santhakumar 2002).…”

Influence Of Socio-Psychological Characteristics In Adoption Of Organic Farming Practices In Coconut Based Homesteads In Humid Tropics

“…A homestead is an operational unit in which a number of crops of which major crop is coconut are grown with livestock, poultry and fish, mainly for the purpose of satisfying the farmers basic needs. (Nair and Sreedharan, 1986).…”

Maize-coconut intercropping: effects of shade and root competition on maize growth and yield

“…Using artificial shading of increasing light intensity produced a relation between yield and the interception rate of the canvas. The relation is linear and can be expressed as in equation (1). Moreover, a study of gas exchanges in the plants in the different treatments showed that the amount of light received by the maize did not modify its photosynthetic response to light.…”

“…Most of this work studied the economic aspect of the intercrop combination, emphasizing the improvement in grower income [1,27]. There were few results concerning inter-and intraspecific competition.…”