AGROFORESTRY IN THE SOUTHERN U.S.: IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED | Journal of Global Agriculture and...

In northern Mississippi, an agroforestry system was investigated. In March of 2005, bare root seedlings of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) were planted on the site. Trees were mechanically planted in two-row sets with a spacing of 3.0 m x 2.1 m and a 12.2 m alley between them. Each tree species and crop were planted in four different ways. Corn (Zea mays), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), soybeans (Glycine max), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) were randomly assigned to 3.96 m x 30.48 m agronomic scale research plots directly adjacent to either side of the 2-row tree planting in a complete randomised block design within the alley. In 2008 and 2009, the heights and diameters of pine trees were measured, and crop yields were determined using a random selection of quadrats. Herbaceous vegetation was discovered and measured in randomly picked meter-squared quadrats to examine agroforestry impacts on wildlife habitat. In addition to forest, pasture, and agroforestry land uses, breeding bird surveys were done. The study found that none of the agronomic crops had a significant impact on overall tree height, ground line diameter, or volume index. Alley cropping considerably boosted the species richness of herbaceous vegetation found near to crop plots, according to a Chi-square analysis of the herbaceous vegetation survey. An agroforestry ecosystem has the largest diversity of bird species and the second-highest number of observations, according to a breeding bird survey conducted in 2009. The endangered eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna) was discovered in an agroforestry setting. Wider crop alleys, larger crop plots, planting to scale, and fencing should all be considered in future study for wildlife herbivory.

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