Evaluating Forest Farming

Abstract

ALMOST all the discussions on forest farming to date have centred on the tree establishment stage, or at least the very early years of the stand. This being so new a concept, and with few forests planted on farmed grassland, such emphasis is understandable. However, although tree establishment is an important phase, in the end the system must stand or fall agriculturally by the pastoral production obtained among stands for older, say, 4 years plus, trees. The trees will then be beyond browsing damage and the underlying pastures could supply substantial grazing until canopy closure. How much grazing and for how long are major questions to be answered.

Conversion of forestry land back to productive pasture

“…Conveniently, a trial on the Tikitere Agroforestry research area, near Rotorua has monitored the effects of a previous forestry regime on a range of agricultural (McQueen et al 1976) was planted with Pinus radiata in 1973 and logged in 1999. This paper will describe the long term soil chemical results from the Tikitere trial and report on the effects of the first 4 years of the conversion to pasture.…”