An assessment of agroforestry systems in the southern USA

Abstract

An assessment of the southern USA, based on a survey of land-use professionals and a review of the literature, revealed that it is a diverse region with substantial potential for agroforestry to address a combination of problems and opportunities. The survey indicated that silvopastoral systems are the most common form of agroforestry in the region. Increased economic returns, diversification, and enhancement of the timing of cash flows were the most frequently mentioned benefits associated with the establishment of silvopastoral systems. Some of the problems associated with alley-cropping systems -less frequently observed than silvopastoral systems -were lower-than-expected productivity or profitability, damage to trees when cultivating the crop component, and labor/management skill constraints. Based on the findings of the literature review and the survey, special opportunities for implementing agroforestry systems in the region were identified, including the following: to improve marginal lands; to serve as windbreaks and buffer strips for improved water quality and wildlife habitat; to enhance the economics of selected natural pine, hardwood plantation, and pine plantation systems; and to provide specialty products on small landownerships.

Biotic interactions, ecological knowledge and agriculture

“…Crop diversification through intercropping is mostly being researched in the tropics and subtropics and can be highly productive low input options for farmers in many countries (Thiaw et al 1993;Trenbath 1999;Dapaah et al 2003); although research is being done in developed countries (Baumann et al 2002a), there is little evidence of adoption by farmers (personal observation). In the past the same could be said of agroforestry, but interest in alley cropping and other types of agroforestry is increasing in the USA and Canada as an option for marginal land not only to sustain good crop productivity and provide organic matter inputs for organic production but also to increase carbon sequestration and improve the efficiency of nutrient cycling (Zinkhan & Mercer 1997;Jordan 2004;Thevathasan & Gordon 2004). Managing tree crop competition is critical in agroforestry, especially in alley cropping, and it has proved challenging to develop systems that work in low fertility and water limited environments, prompting the development of predictive tools to help in the design of agroforestry systems under different environmental conditions (Kho 2000;Ong et al 2004).…”

Restoring longleaf pine through silvopasture practices: an economic analysis

“…Today, silvopasture is a minor land use but there is an increasing interest in silvopasture systems from landowners. The benefits of silvopasture most cited by landowners in the southeastern US are economic and include increased financial returns and income diversification (Zinkhan and Mercer, 1997). There is also empirical evidence that silvopasture management techniques can be up to 70% more profitable than pure forestry (Nowak et al, 2002).…”

Poultry Litter Fertilization Impacts on Soil, Plant, and Water Characteristics in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Plantations and Silvopastures in the Mid-South USA

“…Silvopasture management systems consist of forage grasses established and cultivated beneath trees in order to simultaneously produce timber and livestock (Clason & Robinson, 2000;Clason & Sharrow, 2000). Silvopasture regimes are currently the most popular form of agroforestry in the southeastern U.S. (Clason & Sharrow, 2000;Zinkhan & Mercer, 1996). Silvopastures are created by either planting trees in pastures (Robinson & Clason, 2002) or by establishing forage crops in forests (Clason & Robinson, 2000).…”