Agroforestry for climate-smart production of food, fodder and energy

Le problème
To contribute to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030
The solution
Climate-smart arable production system to reduce fossil-based inputs
The prototype
Agroforestry and multi-species intercropping practices
The societal actors
Graduate and university students, researchers, ministry of agriculture

Hosted by SALL , contributed by Ghalejee on 6 July 2023

Teacher: Ghalejee
Âge des étudiant.e.s
18+
Sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, topical science, etc)
Thème du projet
Introduction to Combined Food and Energy (CFE) production system

At the University experimental farm in Taastrup under the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, a combined food and energy production system (CFE) is established. The trial site at Taastrup is an experimental farm (55040´N, 12018'E) under the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. CFE is laid out in 11.1 ha, consisting of food, fodder and bio-energy (shelter belts) components and was established in 1995 and managed without fertilizer and other chemical inputs until date. In CFE, the food components consisted of winter wheat, barley (Hordeum vulgare), oat (Avena sativa) and fodder component consisted of ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/lucerne (Medicago sativa) ley and bio-energy component consisted of 5 double rows of short rotation woody crops (shelterbelts). Of 5 double rows, the 3 middle double rows consisted of three species (one double row each) of willow (Salix viminalis (L.) ‘‘Jor’’, S. dasycladus Wimmer and S. triandra  cinerea L.) bordered by one double row of common hazel (Corylus avellana L.) on one side and one double row of alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner) on the other side. Prior to 1995, the site was continuously cropped with annual crops. 

Objectives

Real-life issue/problem

  • High greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture

  • Losses of fertilizer and chemicals to the environment

  • EU goal on reducing emissions y 55% by 2030

Solutions

  • Store more carbon in the soil

  • Exploit photosynthesis for active drawdown of carbondioxide from the atmosphere

  • Create multi-functional landscapes to support chemical-free agriculture

 

Stakeholders

The stakeholders are teachers, students, researchers, farmers, ministry of agriculture, environmental agencies. It is of significant importance to understand the benefits of agroforestry for the farmers and the policy makers so that informed decision-making can be made for adoption of agroforestry.

 

The field trial site on combined food and energy production system was established at the University experimnetal farm in Tasstrup, under the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Field studies were carried out on the different ecosystem services provided by the agrforestry system viz. food and fodder production, water storage, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, soil formation and shelter effects on crop and grass yields. The studies have demonstrated that the agroforestry systems have higher provision of ecosystem services compared to the conventional arable production system. 

 

The results from the study on the agroforestry is widely communicated to other researchers carrying out research in sustainable practices. The study clearly demonstrates the added benefits of agrforestry in terms of provision of ecosystem services compared to the conventional production practice