All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Agroforestry

The Co-ordinating unit of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Agroforestry (AICRPF) is located at NRCAF, Jhansi w.e.f. April 1st, 1997 and a network of its 35 Coordinating Centres are in operation in different agro-ecological regions (View Map). Some of the salient research ahievements of AICRPF are :

  • Diagnostic and design survey to identify indegenous agroforestry practices being followed by the farmers in different regions of the country has been completed and is in the process of documentation.
  • Forest, fruit and other tree species which have scope for agroforestry in different agroclimatic regions of the country have been identified and agrotechniques for their successful cultivation developed and standardised at many places.
  • Techniques for sexual propogation of high priority species such as Dalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Populus deltoides, Eucalyptus terticornis, Prosopis species etc. have been standardised. Seed orchards of promising species are being established at selected places.
  • Crops and cropping sequences which can be grown successfully in association with trees during the establishment years and later on have been identified for different regions.
  • Agroforestry systema have been dveloped for economic exploitation of almost all kinds of wastelands met in different regions of the country.

Mandate

(a) Screening and genetic upgrading of different plant species for their compatibility under different agroforestry systems
(b) To study the trees on legume s/trees/suitable orchard species, while growing mixed with suitable species of grasses and fodder commercial plants
(c) Performance of the local predominant grasses/local crops and
(d) Refining the technology for proper propagation and management of the species.

Objectives

Objectives of the project in agroforestry are surveys of existing agroforestry systems, collection, screening and selection of trees and shrubs for agroforestry including tree breeding and developing sustainable agroforestry systems and their management. The six projects were conceptualized to meet these objectives as under:

  1. Diagnostic survey and appraisal of existing farming system and agroforestry practices and farmers’ preference.
  2. Collection and evaluation of promising tree species, cultivars of fuel, fodder and small timber (trees and shrubs).
  3.  Studies on management practices of agroforestry systems such as agri-silviculture, boundary plantation, silvi-pasture, silvi-horticulture, agri-silvi-horticulture, multistorey, homestead etc.
  4. Analysis of social, anthropological and economical relation of agroforestry systems with particular emphasis to women, children, tribal and landless farmers.
  5. Environment and wasteland and community land development, pollution, pests, diseases, fire, soil conservation, saline, alkaline and waterlogged areas and watershed development by agroforestry intervention.
  6.  Studies on post harvest technology or forest utilization, wild life, recreation and animal science, fishery, apiculture, lac etc. in relation to agroforestry systems.


Headquarter of the Project: Central AgroforestryResearch Istitute, Jhansi (UP) 284 003 AICRPAF Centres and OICs