Productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and soil fertility with poplar (Populus deltoides) agroforestry system in the semi-arid ecosystem of Haryana, India

The diverse and multi-component nature of traditional agroforestry systems (AFS) provides them a unique edge over monoculture cropping, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems due to their role in providing several ecosystem services (ES) in addition to their prime role in agricultural production. Appropriate selection of components and their management practices results in reduced competition for resources among the components and maximum capitalization of the interactions. Poplar-based AFS adopted in a big way by farmers in the Indo-Gangetic region of India has improved their economic status due to its high industrial value. The present study discusses the effect Populus deltoides as windbreak on yield of wheat as intercrop and soil nutrient status. We considered winter wheat varieties (WH-1105, WH-542, HD-2967, HD-943 and DPW-621-50) during two consecutive years (2013-15) delimited by a row of poplar trees in the east-west and north-south directions. Whereas effects on crop produce were limited for all wheat varieties with increasing distance from the tree line, considerable yield reductions were found near the tree line (treatments T-1 and T-2) for all the wheat varieties. The highest available soil N (365.2 kg ha(-1)), P (19.7 kg ha(-1)) and K (357.3 kg ha(-1)) were recorded near the tree line at a distance of 2 m. To optimize the provisioning service of poplar windbreak AFS, the cultivation of highly shade-tolerant wheat variety HD-2967 may be advisable over other varieties towards the end of the rotation of mature poplar trees.

Automated summary

The diverse and multi-component nature of traditional agroforestry systems (AFS) provides unique advantages in agricultural production and ecosystem services. The adoption of poplar-based AFS in the Indo-Gangetic region of India has improved the economic status of farmers. A study on the effect of poplar windbreak on wheat intercrop and soil nutrient status suggests that poplar trees have a significant impact on wheat yield and contribute to soil nutrient availability.