Crop Production and Carbon Sequestration Potential of Grewia oppositifolia-Based Traditional Agroforestry Systems in Indian Himalayan Region

Abstract

Bhimal (Grewia oppositifolia) is the most important agroforestry tree species used for fodder, fuel and fiber in the Himalayan region. In the present study, G. oppositifolia-based traditional agroforestry systems were selected for the estimation of carbon stock and the production potential of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana), with two elevational ranges, i.e., 1000–1400 and 1400–1800 m amsl, in Garhwal Himalaya, India. The results of the investigation showed a decline in the growth and yield attributes of both the millet crops under the G. oppositifolia-based agroforestry system at both elevations as compared to their respective control sites (sole crops). Among the elevations, the total number of tillers per plant (2.70 and 2.48), the number of active tillers per plant (2.18 and 2.25), panicle length (17.63 cm and 6.95 cm), 1000-seed weight (5.49 g and 4.33 g), grain yield (10.77 q ha−1 and 11.35 q ha−1), straw yield (37.43 q ha−1 and 30.15 q ha−1), biological yield (48.21 q ha−1 and 41.51 q ha−1) and the harvest index (22.53% and 27.78%) were recorded as higher in the lower elevation in both E. frumentacea and E. coracana, respectively, while plant population per m2 (18.64 and 25.26, respectively) was recorded as higher in the upper elevation. Plant height for E. frumentacea (180.40 cm) was also observed to be higher in the upper elevation, while for E. coracana (98.04 cm), it was recorded as higher in the lower elevation. Tree carbon stock was reported negatively with an increase in altitude. The maximum amount of sequestered carbon in the tree biomass for G. oppositifolia was 23.29 Mg ha−1 at the lower elevation and 18.09 Mg ha−1 at the upper elevation. Total carbon stock in the tree biomass was reported to be the highest (15.15 Mg ha−1) in the 10–20 cm diameter class, followed by 20–30 cm (6.99 Mg ha−1), >30 cm (2.75 Mg ha−1) and the lowest (2.32 Mg ha−1) in the <10 cm diameter class. The results show that the yield of E. frumentacea and E. coracana was not reduced so severely under the G. oppositifolia system; however, keeping in mind the other benefits of this multipurpose tree, i.e., carbon sequestration and socioecological relevance, farmers can get benefit from adopting these crops under G. oppositifolia-based agroforestry systems.

Seasonal and Altitudinal Variation in Chemical Composition of Celtis australis L. Tree Foliage

“…The traditional agroforestry system of the Garhwal Himalaya (Uttarakhand) is classified into various categories, i.e., agrosilviculture, agrohorticulture, and agrosilvohorticulture, and farmers cultivate different seasonal, biennial, and perennial crops, i.e., Echinochloa frumentaceae, Eleusine coracana, Triticum aestivum, Amaranthus spp., Vigna umbellata, and Oryza sativa, etc. Other associated species reported in these systems are Grewia optiva, Quercus leucotrichophora, Prunus cerasoides, Pyrus pasha, Ficus spp., etc., in the upper altitudes, and Toona ciliata, Melia azadirach, Bauhinia spp., Ficus spp., Grewia optiva, etc., in the lower altitude of agroforestry fields [19]. Seasonally, domestic animals use harvested fields for grazing.…”

Physico-chemical and Carbon Stock Analysis of Soil under Forest Ecosystem

“…The relative microbiological potential of a sal forest, a bamboo crop, and a wetland may be inferred from their respective habitats. In a dry tropical forest in Rajasthan, India, Kumar et al found a significant amount of variation in the physicochemical makeup of the soil at various sites across the forest (Tariyal et al, 2022). The forest's varied soil textures and high chemical quality are thought to be responsible for this phenomenon.…”

Traditional Uses and Ethno-Medicinal Plants: Insights From the Korba District of Chhattisgarh, India

“…In India, more than 4,000 types of flowering plants are used for approximately 500 for fibres, 400 for fodder, 300 for gum, 3,000 for food, 700 for traditional religious and social usage and roughly 100 for medical purposes. Essential oils and perfumes are extracted from a range of species Thakur et al, 2017Thakur et al, , 2020Verma et al, 2017;Thakur et al, 2021b;Singh et al, 2021;Mansoori et al, 2020Mansoori et al, , 2022Sahoo et al, 2021;Tariyal et al, 2022). Thanks to India's rich biosphere, over a dozen novel chemicals and life-saving drugs have been found.…”