Exploration of fruit tree-based agroforestry systems is essential for Bangladesh’s agriculture in the era of climate change scenarios and shrinking agricultural land in order to ensure food and nutrition security at household and national levels. In the present study, a traditional jujube/apple kul (Zizyphus mauritiana) orchard was converted into an agroforestry system by including summer vegetables (okra and Indian spinach) and spices (ginger and turmeric) with a view to achieving greater economic return, maximizing land use and providing food and nutritional support. Results revealed that heavily pruned jujube trees in the summer season displayed negligible loss of light accessibility to understory okra and Indian spinach, which contributed to their higher yields. Conversely, the growing canopy of jujube trees exerted moderate shade at the later stages of growth that helped to attain improved yield from ginger and turmeric, which are shade loving crops. Intriguingly, jujube trees were able to utilize a substantial amount of the fertilizers and irrigation applied to the understory crops, which eliminated the need for additional inputs for jujube trees under the agroforestry system. Soil nutrient dynamics also improved in the agroforestry system as crop residues and leaf litter were left in the field. Importantly, nutritionally-rich, sweet-tasting, attractively-colored apple kul has a greater market value and the lack of vegetable productionin the summer season triggered a higher market price for Indian spinach and okra. This collectively heightened the benefit–cost and land equivalent ratios. Concisely, the current study concluded that the jujube-based agroforestry system could be endorsed as a model approach throughout Bangladesh for upgrading food, nutrition and income security.

在气候变化情景和农业用地萎缩的时代，探索基于果树的农林业系统对于孟加拉国的农业至关重要，以确保家庭和国家层面的粮食和营养安全。在本研究中，传统的枣/苹果 kul ( Zizyphus mauritiana) 通过种植夏季蔬菜（秋葵和印度菠菜）和香料（生姜和姜黄），果园转变为农林业系统，以期获得更大的经济回报、最大限度地利用土地并提供食物和营养支持。结果显示，夏季大量修剪的枣树对林下秋葵和印度菠菜的光照损失可以忽略不计，这有助于提高它们的产量。相反，枣树生长的树冠在生长后期提供适度的遮荫，这有助于提高生姜和姜黄的产量，这两种喜荫作物。有趣的是，枣树能够利用大量施用于林下作物的肥料和灌溉，这消除了农林业系统下对枣树的额外投入的需要。由于作物残留物和落叶被留在田间，农林业系统的土壤养分动态也得到了改善。重要的是，营养丰富、味道甜美、色泽诱人的苹果 kul 具有更高的市场价值，而夏季蔬菜产量的缺乏导致印度菠菜和秋葵的市场价格上涨。这共同提高了收益成本和土地当量比率。简而言之，目前的研究得出的结论是，基于枣的农林业系统可以被认可为整个孟加拉国提升粮食、营养和收入安全的示范方法。重要的是，营养丰富、味道甜美、色泽诱人的苹果 kul 具有更高的市场价值，而夏季蔬菜产量的缺乏导致印度菠菜和秋葵的市场价格上涨。这共同提高了收益成本和土地当量比率。简而言之，目前的研究得出的结论是，基于枣的农林业系统可以被认可为整个孟加拉国提升粮食、营养和收入安全的示范方法。重要的是，营养丰富、味道甜美、色泽诱人的苹果 kul 具有更高的市场价值，而夏季蔬菜产量的缺乏导致印度菠菜和秋葵的市场价格上涨。这共同提高了收益成本和土地当量比率。简而言之，目前的研究得出的结论是，基于枣的农林业系统可以被认可为整个孟加拉国提升粮食、营养和收入安全的示范方法。