Tree‐Based Intercropping in Southern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Tree-based intercropping (TBI) integrates tree production within annual grain cropping. The system is widely used in tropical regions, but is not common in temperate regions. This study evaluates the annualized return from TBI systems in southern Ontario, Canada against annual grain crop production. The TBI systems include hybrid poplar, Norway spruce, and red oak. The annualized return for all TBI systems is less than for annual cropping using the base prices; however, when tree prices are high and grain prices low the hybrid poplar TBI system has a higher return than annual cropping. Grants for planting trees, technologies to reduce the cost of establishing and maintaining trees, and improving the returns from tree production will be required for producers in temperate regions to adopt TBI systems.Un système de cultures intercalaires (SCI) intègre la production d'arbres dans la culture annuelle de céréales. Ce système est largement utilisé dans les régions tropicales, mais peu courant dans les régions tempérées. La présenteétudeévalue le rendement annualisé des SCI dans le sud de l'Ontario, au Canada, par rapportà celui de la production annuelle de céréales. Les SCI intègrent le peuplier hybride, l'épinette de Norvège et le chêne rouge. Le rendement annualisé des SCI est inférieurà celui des cultures annuelles si l'on utilise les prix de référence. Toutefois, lorsque les prix des arbres sontélevés et que les prix des céréales sont faibles, le SCI qui intègre le peuplier hybride obtient un rendement supérieurà celui des cultures annuelles. Pour que les agriculteurs des régions tempérées adoptent les SCI, il faudra offrir des subventionsà la plantation d'arbres, offrir des technologies qui permettront de réduire les coûts de plantation et d'entretien des arbres et améliorer les rendements/revenus de la production d'arbres.

Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Markets for Tree-Based Intercropping Systems in Southern Quebec, Canada

“…This study shows that farmers can gain the financial benefits of C sequestration from afforestation when they use the emissions allowance options provided by the SPEDE program at the current market value of $11.39 CAD t´1 CO 2 e. In eastern Canada, TBI systems provide cash flow and income while trees are growing, but a net cost of TBI systems may occur because of lower crop yield, and the net return from trees is low, especially for slower growing trees [20]. Payments to farmers for ecosystem services such as C sequestration can help overcome the revenue gap between TBI systems and conventional agricultural systems.…”

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

“…Canadian tree-based intercropping systems have been found to be less profitable than annual cropping systems, due to reduced area for annual crops and low revenue from trees, especially when trees were slow-growing timber species (Toor et al 2012). Conversely, a European study found that many agroforestry systems were economically attractive, especially if high-value tree species were chosen (Graves et al 2007).…”

Productivity, biodiversity trade-offs, and farm income in an agroforestry versus an arable system

“…This model facilitated a series of studies which aimed to evaluate the economic performance of silvoarable relative to arable systems in Europe and Canada. These studies consistently concluded that the farm business profitability of timber silvoarable relative to arable systems was dependent on high value timber trees such as walnut, high timber prices, grant support, or low discount rates (Graves et al, 2007;Palma et al, 2007b;Sereke et al, 2015;Toor et al, 2012;Van Vooren et al, 2016).…”