Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 17
An important advantage of agroforestry is that photosynthesising plants are often produced in multiple
layers - the root, soil, shrub and tree layers - allowing
for greater overall biomass production compared to
farms that only produce crops in one layer. In forest
gardens, up to seven levels of cultivation are sometimes used, with root crops, ground cover, shrub layers, climbing plants and several tiers of trees planted
in integrated systems. How many layers are practical
depends on the individual system and site conditions.
“I want to create a productive landscape. To do so, the three-dimensional,
photosynthesising system you create
with trees in combination with grass is,
I believe, completely superior in terms
of production. It requires very few
inputs, and provides lots of production
all the time. Both of food products but
also of biodiversity.”
Effects for the farmer
- Jesper Sandström, Kyrkbygård, citation from the film
“Establishment of Silvopastoral Agroforestry”.
Diversification can be a good way for farmers to
reduce their risk, regardless of the farming system
they use. With multiple production lines that are not
susceptible to the same types of disturbances, the
effects of a bad year can be mitigated and price
drops in one production line can be absorbed by the
remaining production. What makes agroforestry and
other intercropping systems stand out is that diversification itself has shown to increase overall production. That is, by intercropping different crops, shrubs
and trees, we create cropping systems that are more
productive than if the crops were grown separately
[1, 16]. In a study of crops from temperate European
countries, agroforestry systems required on average
10-30 percent fewer resources [17].
In agroforestry systems with perennial crops , the
harvest season can be extended from early spring to
late autumn, or even winter, depending on the type of
crops grown. By spreading the harvest over the year,
the workload can also be distributed more evenly
throughout the year in well-planned systems. The need
for tillage is reduced on areas occupied by perennials - trees as well as crops - saving both money and
labour. All in all, there are economic, entrepreneurial
and socio-occupational benefits. Lastly, one should not
forget that there is a food security aspect to having
robust systems that deliver food even when they cannot be tended.
Spröda lindblad (Tilia cordata) kan ätas som sallad
men vanligast är att de torkas som te. Jätteverbena
(Verbena bonariensis), “Båt i skogen - hamn för
radikala nomader”. Allérader med hassel, äpplen,
plommon, körsbär, kvitten, nypon, aprikoser, humle
etc. i kombination med ettåriga grönsaker, samt
gårdens egen äppelmust, Wakelyns Agroforestry.
/ Little Leaf Linden (Tilia cordata) leaves make a
great lettuce substitute, but are more commonly
made into a linden flower tea. Vervain (Verbena
bonariensis), “Boat in the forest - harbour for
radical nomads”. Rows with hazel, apples, plums,
cherries, quince, rose hips, apricots, hops, etc. combined with annual vegetables, the farm’s own apple
juice, Wakelyns Agroforestry.
