Agroforestry system composed of soybean and poplar trees (Nicola Dal Ferro)
Agroforestry systems (AS) are the mixed cultivation of annual crops and trees in a single field. Historically, agroforestry has been used as a land management system that allowed the integration and diversification of productivity while maintaining the ecosystem biodiversity and diversifying farm landscape. Over the last fifty years the number of trees in agroecosystems in Italy was reduced of 75% due to the advent of intensive cropping systems and mechanisation, with significant changes to agriculture and landscape. In recent years, re-introduction of silvo-arable systems in the Veneto region have been supported as an agri-environmental measure of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) to improve sustainable land management.
Purpose of the Technology: Tree and crop production in the same area are compatible and combine environmental and economic benefits. As a result, ASs have been proposed to the farmers with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and energy inputs as well as improving biodiversity and agricultural landscape.
Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Agroforestry systems are adjusted to the needs of modern and sustainable agriculture and farmers who adopt this technology take advantage of higher ecosystem biodiversity, incomes and labour diversification, lower energy inputs and reinforcement of natural pest control. The systems are managed with low tree intensity (50-100 trees/ha) and large planting systems (up to 14 m in the row and 40 m inter-row) in order to simplify mechanisation of field practices, depending on machinery and cultivated crops.
Natural / human environment: Adopting agroforestry systems achieves several environmental benefits that have been widely demonstrated worldwide: regulation of nutrient cycling and adsorption of nonpoint source pollution (phytoremediation) thanks to the effect of deep rooting systems; reduction of soil surface erosion and sedimentation in rivers and lakes, improvement of micro-climate conditions, soil and ecosystem biodiversity. Reforestation of agroecosystems was recommended by Kyoto Protocol to mitigate global warming. Finally, agrisilviculture systems improve socio-cultural aspects as they contribute to differentiate and enrich the agricultural landscape.
Location: Veneto region, Italy, Italy
No. of Technology sites analysed:
Spread of the Technology: evenly spread over an area (approx. 1-10 km2)
In a permanently protected area?:
Date of implementation: less than 10 years ago (recently)
Type of introduction
| Specify input | Unit | Quantity | Costs per Unit (Euro €) | Total costs per input (Euro €) | % of costs borne by land users |
| Labour | |||||
| System planning | ha | 1.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | |
| Tillage and soil preparation | ha | 1.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | |
| Tree planting and fertilisation | ha | 1.0 | 127.0 | 127.0 | |
| Mulching | ha | 1.0 | 1220.0 | 1220.0 | |
| Equipment | |||||
| Tillage and soil preparation | ha | 1.0 | 254.0 | 254.0 | |
| Plant material | |||||
| Seedlings | ha | 1.0 | 175.0 | 175.0 | |
| Fertilizers and biocides | |||||
| Fertilizer | ha | 1.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | |
| Total costs for establishment of the Technology | 2'001.0 | ||||
| Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD | 2'501.25 | ||||
| Specify input | Unit | Quantity | Costs per Unit (Euro €) | Total costs per input (Euro €) | % of costs borne by land users |
| Labour | |||||
| Pruning, replanting, additional irrigation, weed control | ha | 1.0 | 250.0 | 250.0 | |
| Crop management | ha | 1.0 | 850.0 | 850.0 | |
| Total costs for maintenance of the Technology | 1'100.0 | ||||
| Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD | 1'375.0 | ||||
The technology is recognized by the EU CAP as a system of high ecological and social value due to increased biodiversity, improved rural landscape and environmental quality. However, the technology has been little adopted in Veneto region due to scarce technical expertise and very few fundings, resulting in a limited improvement of livelihoods and human well-being.
