Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Economics and energy potential of traditional agroforestry systems under contrasting ecosystems in semi arid tropics

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent past agroforestry systems have been recognized as sustainable land use system over conventional agriculture. However, the major obstacle in up scaling of this tree based land use systems is the difficulty in quantification and demonstration of the ecological and economical sustainability as compared to agriculture. Nevertheless, energy analysis is being widely used at global, national and regional scale to assess the sustainability of system production as it evaluates the system components on common units and also helps to understand the resource use and production efficiency of tree based farming system. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to assess the economics and energy use efficiency of different neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) and teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) based agroforestry systems in rainfed and irrigated ecosystems respectively in north-eastern dry zone of Karnataka, India. The economic analysis of neem based agroforestry systems under rainfed condition revealed higher net returns and B:C ratio with crop alone (control) (515 $ ha−1 year−1, 2.00 respectively) over different agroforestry systems. While, in teak based agroforestry systems under irrigated ecosystem higher B:C ratio were recorded (4.07 to 5.71) over control (2.87). However, energy analysis revealed that both neem (3.99 to 4.15) and teak based agroforestry systems (4.48 to 7.74) were energetically superior to control (3.32 and 4.21 respectively). Energy analysis appeared to be the most appropriate method to assess the agroforestry systems rather than economics or life cycle assessment though intangible benefits of tree based land use system are not considered in the former. Therefore, integrated approach involving both ecological and economical assessment is suggested to quantify the sustainability and productivity across types of system and ecological situations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alavalapati JRR, Nair PKR (2001) Socioeconomics and institutional perspectives of agroforestry. In: Palo M, Uusivuori J (eds) World forests, society and environment: markets and policies. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, pp 71–81

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Alavalapati JRR, Shrestha RK, Stainback GA, Matta JR (2004) Agroforestry development: an environmental economic perspective. Agrofor Syst 61(1–3):299–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Alluvione F, Morette B, Sacco D, Grignani C (2011) EUE (Energy Use Efficiency) of cropping systems for a sustainable agriculture. Energy 36:4468–4481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso A, Guzman G (2010) Comparison of the efficiency and use of energy in organic and conventional farming in Spanish agricultural systems. J Sustain Agric 34(3):312–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Binning AS, Pathak BS, Panesar BS (1983) The energy audit of crop production system research report. School of energy studies for agriculture, Panjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown S, Lugo AE (1982) The storage and production of organic matter in tropical forests and their role in the global carbon cycle. Biotropica 14:161–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlos RB, Hector AC, Rodrigo G, Eddie S (2012) Extending the input-output energy balance methodology in agriculture through cluster analysis. Energy 47:465–470

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaturvedi OP, Das DK (2005) Energy dynamics in Populus deltoids G3 Marsh agroforestry systems in eastern India. Biomass Bioenergy 29:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaturvedi AN, Khanna LS (1981) Forest mensuration. International Book Distributors, Dehradun

    Google Scholar 

  • Chittapur BM, Patil DK (2017) Ecosystem services rendered by tree based land use systems. Indian J Agric Sci 87(11):1419–1429

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dwivedi RP, Kareemulla K, Rizvi RH, Ramesh S, Kuldeep K (2014) Agroforestry practices in Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh: a soci-economic analysis. Indian J Agrofor 16(1):21–24

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (1998) Estimating biomass and biomass change of tropical forest. FAO Corporate Document Depository, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fluck RC (1992) Energy in farm production. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaudino S, Goia I, Borreani G, Tabacco E, Sacco D (2014) Cropping systemintensification grading using an agro-environmental indicator set in northern Italy. Ecol Indic 40:76–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghorbani R, Mondani F, Amirmoradi S, Feizi H, Khorrmdel S, Teimouri M, Sanjani S, Anvarkhab S, Aghel H (2011) A case study of energy use and economical analysis of irrigated and dry land wheat production systems. Appl Energy 88:283–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haciseferogullari H, Acaroglu M, Gezer I (2003) Determination of the energy balance of the sugar beet plant. Energy Source Part A 25(1):15–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halberg N, Verschuur G, Goodlass G (2005) Farm level environmental indicators: are they usefull?: an overview of green accounting systems for European farms. Agr Ecosyst Environ 105(1–2):195–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hossein S, Hassan F, Shahram A (2013) Which crop production system is more efficient in energy use: wheat or barley? Environ Dev Sustain 15:711–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jianbo Lu (2006) Energy balance and economic benefits of two agroforestry systems in northern and southern China. Agric Ecosyst Environ 116:255–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones MR (1989) Analysis of the use of energy in agriculture- approaches and problems. Agric Syst 9(4):339–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jose S (2009) Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: an overview. Agrofor Syst 76:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mario T, Nora F, Paul JB, Gerardo M, Tobias P (2016) Do European agroforestry systems enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services? A meta analysis. Agric Ecosyst Environ 230:150–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mobtaker HG, Keyhani A, Mohammadi A, Rafiee S, Akram A (2010) Sensitivity analysis of energy inputs for barley production in Hamedan Province of Iran. Agric Ecosyst Environ 137:367–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mobtaker HG, Akram A, Keyhani A (2012) Energy use and sensitive analysis of energy inputs for alfalfa production in Iran. Energy Sustain Dev 16:84–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammad GK, Narayan S (2011) Analysis of existing agroforestry practices in Madhupur Sal forest: an assessment based on ecological and economic perspectives. J For Res 22(4):533–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PKR (2011) Agroforestry systems and environmental quality: introduction. J Environ Qual 40:784–790

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nassi O, Di Nasso N, Bosco S, Di Bene C, Coli A, Mazzoncini M, Bonari E (2011) Energy efficiency in long-term Mediterranean cropping systems with different management intensities. Energy 36(4):1924–1930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nautiyal S, Maikhuri RK, Semwal RL, Rao KS, Saxena KG (1998) Agroforestry systems in the rural landscape- a case study in Garhwal Himalaya, India. Agrofor Syst 41:151–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odum HT (1988) Self organization, transformity and information. Science 242:1132–1139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Odum HT (1996) Environmental accounting: energy and environmental decision making. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozkan B, Akcaoz H, Karadeniz F (2004) Energy requirement and economical analysis of citrus production in Turkey. Energy Convers Manag 45:1821–1830

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozkan B, Fert C, Karadeniz F (2007) Energy and cost analysis for green house and open field grape production. Energy 32:1500–1504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pervanchon F, Bockstaller C, Girardin P (2002) Assessment of energy use in arable farming systems by means of an argroecological indicator: energy indicator. Agric Syst 72(2):149–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel D (1980) Hand book of energy utilization in agriculture. CRC Press, Boca Raton, p 475

    Google Scholar 

  • Rafiee S, Mousavia SH, Mohammadi A (2010) Modeling and sensitivity analysis of energy inputs for apple production in Iran. Energy 35:3301–3306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ram RA, Verma AK (2015) Energy input, output and economic analysis in organic production of Mango (Mangifera indica) cv. Dashehari. Indian J Agric Sci 85(6):827–832

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider UA, Smith P (2009) Energy intensities and green house gas emission mitigation in global agriculture. Energy Effic 2:195–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh JM (2002) On farm energy use pattern in different cropping systems in Haryana. Master of Science, International Institute of Management, University of Flensburg, Flensburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulgiati S, Odum HT, Bastianoni S (1994) Emergy use, environmental loading and sustainability. An energy analysis of Italy. Ecol Model 73:215–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture, Bheemarayanagudi, Yadgir District, 585287, Karnataka, India

    Doddabasawa

  2. University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, 584 102, Karnataka, India

    B. M. Chittapur

  3. Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, UAS, GKVK, Bangaluru, 560065, India

    M. Mahadeva Murthy

Authors
  1. Doddabasawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. M. Chittapur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Mahadeva Murthy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Doddabasawa.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Doddabasawa, Chittapur, B.M. & Mahadeva Murthy, M. Economics and energy potential of traditional agroforestry systems under contrasting ecosystems in semi arid tropics. Agroforest Syst 94, 2237–2247 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020-00545-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020-00545-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation