Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 21
Silvoarable systems
In silvoarable cropping systems, perennial or annual
crops are grown in combination with shrubs and
trees. Alley cropping is one such system, where food
crops are grown between rows of trees which are often spaced according to the width of machinery, such
as the combine. The trees can be planted in straight
rows, but also as solitary trees, in clusters, across the
shrubs, nut trees, nitrogen fixers or nurse trees - trees
that protect the production trees when they are young
and contribute to increased biodiversity in the meantime. The ground layer between the rows of trees is
used to grow everything from perennial and annual
vegetables, potatoes, cereals, oilseed crops, legumes
or fodder crops. The design depends on the interest
of the grower and landowner, demand, climate, location, etc. Something to consider if you have trees on
Stora Juleboda gård. / Juleboda Farm, Sweden.
Silvopastoral agroforestry. /
Silvopastoral agroforestry.
slope of the land (keyline design), along swales, as
windbreaks or buffer zones [1, 18]. Silvoarable systems are relevant to Swedish croplands and have been
shown to provide higher productivity per unit area in
similar environments and climates compared to growing trees and annual crops separately, if designed correctly [19]. When planning silvopastoral systems, light
conditions and wind direction need to be taken into
account. Therefore, tree rows are usually established
in a north-south direction to maximise sunlight [1, 20].
your arable land or vegetable garden is that too tall
and/or dense trees and shrubs can shade the crop
between the rows. However, tall and/or dense trees
and shrubs could be part of a business model where
you grow annual crops while the trees/shrubs are
being established, and switch to a silvopastoral system
(next section) when the woody plants start to provide
too much shade.
The diversity of species in alley cropping tree rows
can vary from a single species to a diversity of species for increased diversity in products and functions.
A cultivation with one species in the tree rows may
consist of apple production with a traditional crop rotation between the rows. In a diversified alley system,
several varieties of fruit trees can be mixed with berry
Silvopastoral systems include any form of animal husbandry combined with trees or shrubs, from chickens
in an apple grove to Swedish mountain cattle on forest
land. The animals can graze leafy forage or leys between the trees, adding nutrients and beneficial bacteria to the soil, while the farmer can get both food
crops and animal products from the system. Grazing
Silvopastoral systems
