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Harar (Terminalia chebula) and soybean (Glycine max) are the potential tree and agricultural crops of subtropical region of Himachal Pradesh, India, however the potential of these crops under agroforestry system has not been explored both from ecological and economical point of view. The objective of this paper was to determine the effect of harar–soybean combination on soil chemical properties and to analyse the economics of the agroforestry system as compared to the open system. Soybean was grown under harar trees as per the recommended package of practices. Before sowing and after harvesting, soil samples were collected from four directions (East, West, North and South) at three distances (1, 2 and 3 m) from harar trees and open cropping system (sole soybean) for determining chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon) and nutrient dynamics (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). In addition, the soil at two depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm) under trees at 2 m distance and in open was analyzed by GC–MS before and after cropping for the presence of allelochemicals that may affect crop yield. The economics of tree-crop combination was worked out and compared with the sole cropping system. The soil chemical properties and available nutrients in soil exhibited maximum values in the north direction. Except available phosphorus content, values of all the studied properties of soil increased with an increase in the distance of soybean crop from harar. It was also observed that values of soil chemical properties and nutrient contents increased significantly after intercropping in comparison to those before intercropping soybean. A substantial increase in soil properties was observed under the agroforestry system over the sole cropping system before sowing and after harvesting soybean. It was revealed that allelochemicals viz., octadecanoic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid and phthalic acid which do exist in harar trees were also detected in soil under the canopy of harar trees. The total cost of cultivation (Rs. 45,028.49 ha−1), gross returns (Rs. 101,937.78 ha−1), net returns (Rs. 56,909.29 ha−1) and benefit–cost ratio (2.26) were higher under the agroforestry system (harar + soybean) over sole soybean cropping. Improvement in soil health, soybean yield and higher economic returns indicated that combination of harar and soybean can be a viable option for farmers of subtropical areas of Himachal Pradesh for the upliftment of their socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of trees into diverse land-use systems holds potential for India to meet nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets under the Paris Climate Agreement. With a target of sequestering 2.5–3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030, the study focused on the widespread and economically viable eucalyptus-based agroforestry, practiced widely in various planting geometries tailored to meet industrial end-use requirements. In this context, a detailed study was conducted to quantify the influence of five planting geometries [3 m × 3 m, 6 × 1.5 m, 17 × 1 × 1 m (paired row) and two boundary plantations (east–west and north–south directions) at 2 m away from tree to tree] of eucalyptus on intercrops [dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata)—barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) rotation] biomass, soil properties, and carbon stock of the system during 2009–2016. Results revealed that biomass accumulation of different tree components was 62.50%–74.09% in stem; 6.59%–9.14% in branch; 3.18%–5.73% in leaves; 12.20%–20.44% in stump roots; and 1.71%–3.48% in fine roots across the planting geometries. The mean carbon content of the stem, branch, leaves, and roots was 49.00, 47.00, 43.00, and 49.00%, respectively. Over the 8-year period, geometry of 3 × 3 m performed better in terms of total biomass production (344.60 Mg ha− 1 by tree biomass and 62.53 Mg ha−1 by intercrops). The independent parameter, DBH²H (DBH: diameter at breast height and H: tree height), was found to be a very good predictor of dry weight, followed by DBH alone. Among various functions (linear, allometric, logistic, Gompertz, Chapman, and exponential), the best-fit equation was allometric, i.e., B = 300.96 × DBH²H0.93 (adjusted R² = 0.96) for eucalyptus based on universal model adequacy and validation criteria. The carbon sequestration rate was maximum (20.79 Mg C ha−1 year−1) in 3 × 3 m followed by 17 × 1 × 1 m. The total carbon stock of eucalyptus-based system (tree + crop + soil) varied significantly under different planting geometries and sole crop rotation (dhaincha–barley). The higher carbon stock (237.27 Mg ha−1) was obtained from 3 × 3 m spacing and further partitioning carbon stock in trees—166.29 Mg ha−1, crops—25.01 Mg ha−1 and soil—45.97 Mg ha−1. The paired row spacing (17 × 1 × 1 m) yielded higher crop yield and net returns (Rs. 600,475 ha−1), underscoring wide spacing’s role in system productivity and sustainability. Tree-based systems were valuable components of agriculture, advocating for their widespread adoption to reduce CO2 emissions and generate income through carbon credits. These findings will provide crucial insights into sustainable land-use practices and advance India’s commitment toward adaptation of climate change mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to provide an improved and more comprehensive understanding of the concept and theories on wasteland. It achieves this by focusing on the Indian context, allowing us to unpack the importance of including multiple perspectives of wasteland narratives; this means including more positive narratives of the potential of wasteland to inform and improve prospects for land policies in the Global South. Wasteland is commonly recognized as an underutilized category of land that may transform into a valuable resource base with proper management measures. The term waste has multiple angles that carry different notions ranging from fallow to agroforestry land in the Global South and brownfield to green space in the Global North. We conduct a narrative review approach to qualitatively analyze the concept of wastelands, which has been studied in the pre-existing literature from 1970 to the present. This unsystematic literature review approach incorporates multiple elements of wasteland discourse, like understanding the meaning of the term on a global scale, setting out the meaning of the term waste into multiple perspectives explicitly in the Indian context, along with different classes and management approaches to wasteland from a national perspective. The multiple perspectives of wasteland not only generate misconceptions of land resources but spawn difficulties in land-use policy, particularly for the Indian scenario. For sustainable land-use policy, reclaiming wasteland would be the best possible way for India and other countries in the Global South, which requires a comprehensive methodological overview on wasteland narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agroforestry system is the best option to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target for India. Keeping this view, carbon sequestration and credit potential of gamhar based agroforestry system has been assessed. The experiment was carried out in randomized block design in seven different treatments with five replications. Gamhar tree biomass accumulation was higher in gamhar based agroforestry system compared to sole gamhar. Among different tree components, stem contributed a maximum to total gamhar tree biomass followed by roots, leaves and branches. The average contributions of stems, roots, leaves and branches in total tree biomass in two annual cycles (2016–17 and 2017–18) varied between 50 and 60, 19.8 and 20, 19.2 and 20, and 10.7 and 12.7 percent, respectively. In case of crops, above ground, below ground and total biomass was significantly higher in sole intercrops than gamhar based agroforestry system. Total (Tree + interrops + Soil) carbon stock, carbon sequestration, carbon credit and carbon price were significantly affected by treatments, and was maximum in Sole Greengram-Mustard. Net carbon emission was also recorded lowest in Sole Greengram-Mustard for which the values were 811.55% and 725.24% and 760.69% lower than Sole Gamhar in 2016–17, 2017–18 and in pooled data, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of traditional plant pesticides in agriculture is very common among the tribes of Nagaland, India. In most of the districts, the local communities are strictly restricted from using chemical pesticides, and hence, the farmers rely on organic and plant-based pesticides to control varieties of seasonal pests manifested in their crop fields. Jhum cultivation is a traditional agroforestry system practiced by the Naga tribes of India, especially by the Angami tribe. Varieties of vegetables, fruits, and other economically important plant species are cultivated in Jhum agroforestry. To maintain the organic nature of this farming method, diverse plant species with unique formulations were used for the management of crop pests. Two types of Jhum cultivation were recorded. Both were related to slashing and burning forests for agriculture. Twenty-one vegetable species and twelve other economically important plant species were recorded from the Jhum fields. Manifestations of 24 pests/ diseases were found in the studied area and 10 different parts of 56 plant species belonging to 33 families were used to control these pests/ diseases. Eight unique methods of pesticide formulation were recorded. Pesticidal plant-related data were analyzed through quantitative tools like use value (UV), informants' consensus factor (ICF), and family use value (FUV). A traditional and unique plant-based pest control system in agroforestry was obtained from the study which will help in formulating modern biopesticides. It will transmit knowledge of traditional organic agriculture to the modern agriculture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to survey the literature and factual evidence on the nexus between deforestation and agriculture through an assessment of the potential impacts of climate change in the context of the world, India, and the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats region was chosen for this study because of its deep ecological significance. A few underlying themes were created and findings were documented under each theme that ranged from the causes of deforestation, the transformation of forest land for agriculture, the nexus between agriculture, deforestation and climate change, climate-driven agricultural vulnerability and the reconciliation of forest protection with agriculture. These findings suggest that shifting agriculture has been a dominant source of deforestation. The primary climatic impacts on agriculture are seen through crop yield falls. India's arid and semiarid tropical regions have witnessed high climate-driven agricultural sensitivity. This could be on account of the fact that India's tropical forests have witnessed high deforestation. The presence of higher tree densities in areas under Joint Forest Planning and Management in the Western Ghats create the potential for sparing remaining land areas for non-forest uses such as agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]