fruit-tree-based-agroforestry-sarasota-county-extension

Fruit Tree-Based Agroforestry(aka Alley Cropping)Robert A. KlusonAgriculture/Natural Resources Agent IIUF/IFAS – Sarasota County Extension

Outline• Overview of Agroforestry– Principles & concepts• Alley cropping– Benefits and costs– Examples

What is agroforestry?+

Agroforestry is…… intensive land managementthat optimizes the benefits(physical, biological, ecological,economic, social) arising frombiophysical interactions createdwhen trees and/or shrubs aredeliberately combined with cropsand/or livestock.

Agroforestry Benefits

Agroforestry is…..Alley CroppingSilvopastureForest FarmingRiparian Forest BuffersWindbreaks… puttingthe right plant,in the right location,for the right reason.

Alley CroppingGrowing an annual or perennial crop simultaneously with along term tree crop. The agricultural crop generates annualincome while the longer-term tree crop matures.

Alley Cropping Benefits• Diversify farm enterprise• Reduce erosion• Improve water quality• Protect crops• Improve utilization ofnutrients• Enhance wildlife habitat• Improve aesthetics• Store carbon

Alley Cropping

Alley Cropping - Spatial Design

Alley Cropping - Temporal Design

Alley CroppingAlternative EnterprisesHayVegetablesFruits & Berries

Alley Cropping Example“Fruit Tree & Perennial Herbs”Knoll Organic Farm, Brentwood, CAApricotRosemary

Alley Cropping With Vegetables- Fairview Gardens Farm, Goleta, CA -PeachesCelery

Alley Cropping Example“Grapes & Annuals”GrapesVegetables/HerbsWildflower Seed

Agroforestry Diversity ExamplePinePersimmonRosemary

Some Temperate FruitsThat Can Be Grown In SW FL• Citrus• Blueberries• Stone Fruits- Peaches, Plums, and Nectarines• Muscadine Grapes• Pecans• Persimmons• Blackberries

Some Subtropical FruitsThat Can Be Grown In SW FL• Avocado• Carambola• Guava• Canistel• Jackfruit• Lychee• Mango

Things to Consider Before Planting• How much time do you want to devote?• What type of marketing opportunities exist?• Start up costs• Production costs– Pruning– Labor– Freeze protection– Pests management

Crowley Training CenterOld Miakka, Sarasota County, FLPartnerships:• Crowley Museum & Nature Center• FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research• UF/IFAS Grape Genetics and Pathology Research Program• FL Grape Growers Association Manasota Chapter• FAMU Meat Goat Program• UF/IFAS Low Chill Peach Breeding Program• Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Tropical Fruit Program•UF/IFAS/FAMU Small Farm & Alternative Enterprise Program

Fruit Tree-Based AgroforestryProject Goals• Fruit and vegetables can add value to smallfarm production systems resulting indiversified, profitable agriculture• Alley cropping is a practice of intercroppingfor sustainable agriculture systems oragroecosystems

Farm As An AgroecosystemHierarchical Scale

Agroecosystem Concept

EarlySuccessionStagesLateSuccessionStages

Agroecosystem Concept

Agroforestry Diversity Examples

Agroforestry Diversity Example“High Alpha, Low Beta Type”PinePersimmonRosemary

For more informationCenter for Subtropical AgroforestryGainesville, FLhttp://cstaf.ifas.ufl.edu/index.htmSchool of Forest Resources & Conservation

For more information, contactUSDA National Agroforestry CenterLincoln, NE 68583-0822www.unl.edu/nac

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS• Roy Beckford, UF/IFAS Lee CountyExtension, “Non-timber Forest Productsfor Forest Landowners”• S. R. Gliessman, 1998, Agroecology:Ecological Processes in SustainableAgriculture, Sleeping Bear Press

Online Resources• Agroforestry Nethttp://www.agroforestry.net/index.html• Atlas of Florida Vascular Plantshttp://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/• Association for Temperate Agroforestryhttp://www.aftaweb.org/• A.T.T.R.A. Agroforestryhttp://www.attra.org/• Center for Agroforestry, Univ. of Missourihttp://www.centerforagroforestry.org/index.htm• E.C.H.O. Agroforestryhttp://www.echotech.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_weblinks&catid=42&Itemid=23• EDIS publications on agroforestry and alley croppinghttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/• Elevitch, C. & K. Wilkinson. A Guide to Orchard Alley Cropping For Fertility, Mulch andSoil Conservation.http://www.scribd.com/doc/6693883/Orchard-Alley-Cropping• UF/IFAS Fruitscapeshttp://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/fruitscapes/• USDA Agroforestry Centerhttp://www.unl.edu/nac/