Scarcity of green fodder in semi-arid regions is a major bottleneck for the adoption of livestock-based production systems. To address this challenge with a focus on sustainable and appropriate land-use systems for forage production, this study compared forage species yield, tree growth and soil nutrients when sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) were intercropped with Populus deltoides arranged in six spacing geometries (3 × 3 m, 4 × 3 m, 5 × 3 m, 6 × 3 m, 7 × 3 m and 8 × 3 m). During the study, two cropping rotations sorghum-berseem (S-B crop rotation) and cowpea-berseem (C-B crop rotation) were followed. The yield of green fodder crops increased significantly as the spacing between the rows increased from 3 to 8 m. Tree density or planting geometry significantly affected plant height and diameter at breast height (DBH) with decline in plant height and increase in DBH with increase in tree density. Among all the treatments of poplar-based alley crop systems, the maximum green forage yield was recorded under the widest poplar spacing (8 × 3 m) for all three forage crops evaluated in the system. The overall yield reduction in the sorghum-berseem system ranged from 10 to 22 percent with increasing tree density and from 10 to 56 percent in the cowpea-berseem system compared to control. The soil organic carbon (%) and available N, P and K decreased exponentially with the increase in row to row distance of poplar trees. Greatest soil organic carbon and available N, P and K were measured under the closely spaced (3 × 3 m) trees managed with cowpea-berseem rotation. Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) of poplar-based system with S-B crop rotation under 8 × 3 m spacing was highest and this system was more profitable than P. deltoides + C-B crop rotation. The study showed P. deltoides with S-B crop rotation at 8 × 3 m spacing is most productive system.

半干旱地区绿色饲料的稀缺是采用畜牧生产系统的主要瓶颈。为了应对这一挑战，重点关注可持续和适当的土地利用系统用于牧草生产，本研究比较了高粱 ( Sorghum bicolor )、berseem ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.) 和豇豆 ( Vigna unguiculata ) 的牧草品种产量、树木生长和土壤养分。 ) 与三角杨间作排列成六种间距几何形状（3 × 3 m、4 × 3 m、5 × 3 m、6 × 3 m、7 × 3 m 和 8 × 3 m）。在研究过程中，采用了高粱-bersem（SB 轮作）和豇豆-bersem（CB 轮作）两种轮作。随着行距从3 m增加到8 m，绿色饲料作物的产量显着增加。树木密度或种植几何形状显着影响株高和胸径（DBH），株高下降，胸径随着树木密度的增加而增加。在以杨树为基础的胡同作物系统的所有处理中，在系统评估的所有三种牧草作物的最宽杨树间距（8×3 m）下记录了最大的绿色牧草产量。与对照相比，随着树木密度的增加，高粱-berseem 系统的总产量下降幅度为 10% 至 22%，而豇豆-berseem 系统的总产量下降幅度为 10% 至 56%。土壤有机碳(%)和速效N、P、K随着杨树行距的增加呈指数下降。最大的土壤有机碳和有效 N、P 和 K 在用豇豆-berseem 轮作管理的紧密间隔 (3 × 3 m) 的树木下测量。以杨树为基础的 SB 轮作在 8 × 3 m 间距下的系统的土地当量比 (LER) 最高，该系统比 P 和 K 在用豇豆-bersem 轮作管理的紧密间隔 (3 × 3 m) 的树下测量。以杨树为基础的 SB 轮作在 8 × 3 m 间距下的系统的土地当量比 (LER) 最高，该系统比 P 和 K 在用豇豆-bersem 轮作管理的紧密间隔 (3 × 3 m) 的树下测量。以杨树为基础的 SB 轮作在 8 × 3 m 间距下的系统的土地当量比 (LER) 最高，该系统比P. deltoides  + CB 轮作。研究表明，以 8 × 3 m 间距进行 SB 轮作的三角叶杨是最高效的系统。