Ailanthus Agroforestry Systems for Soil Fertility and Carbon Sequestration in India

A two-year field experiment by Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University assessed improved Ailanthus excelsa agroforestry systems in nutrient-poor soils of north-west India. The study recorded a maximum carbon sequestration rate of 9.64 tonnes per hectare per year in a system combining A. excelsa with cluster bean and wheat crops. Soil organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium levels improved under agroforestry compared to sole cropping, while crop yields were not initially affected by the young trees.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon sequestration potential based on tree density and crop sequence data.
• Comparing soil nutrient improvements (organic matter, P, K) between agroforestry and sole cropping systems.
• Analyzing the economic viability of agroforestry systems based on net returns data.
• Assessing early growth performance of Ailanthus excelsa under different planting spacings.

Strengths

• Provides specific quantitative results, including a maximum carbon sequestration rate of 9.64 t ha-1 year-1.
• Compares multiple treatments (different tree densities and crop sequences) within a controlled field experiment.
• Reports concrete soil fertility metrics (organic matter, available P and K) and economic outcomes (net returns).

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Data covers only the initial two years of tree establishment; long-term effects are not captured.
• The dataset's freshness and last update date are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University

Collection Method

Field experiment assessing different Ailanthus excelsa based agroforestry systems.

Time Range

Two-year study period.

Geography

Dry parts of north-west India.