The Role of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Advancing Agroforestry Systems: A Review | Chapter 11 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 4

 

Agriculture plays a crucial role in human survival as a primary source of food, alongside other sources. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence is constantly transforming the present age of agroforestry. It holds significant potential to enhance the sustainability of the agricultural industry through various applications. This review explores about use of artificial intelligence techniques for agroforestry. Agroforestry is an intensive and interactive land usage strategy that maximises biotic and abiotic resources by deliberately combining trees and/or shrubs with crops and/or animals in temporal and spatial patterns on the same plot of land. Agroforestry is a self-sustaining, green and smart technology that will transform the future of Indian agriculture. Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology that encompasses computers and machines to simulate the intelligence of humans to solve specific problems on the basis of logical reasoning and fast experience. AI-powered agroforestry plays a critical role in data collecting, processing, assessment, interpretation, knowledge acquisition, and solution provision to improve overall production and efficiency. It is essential to understand the complexity of the Agroforestry system, cropping patterns, succession, stratification, productivity and biodiversity on the land. However, a larger workforce is required to increase the farm productivity which also enables employment opportunities and smart work in a reconnection with nature. Thus, AI-enabled solutions are extremely valuable in crop cultivation, risk management, crop management, crop protection, crop advice, soil and crop health monitoring and management, crop feeding, automated irrigation, autonomous crop harvesting, crop grading, and even marketing. It will transform contemporary agroforestry methods by enhancing efficiency through accurate real-time monitoring and projections of increased food yields. Thus, the combination of AI, robotics, machine learning, and ancestral knowledge is the path to a transformational technological period that will renew agriculture and agroforestry throughout the world by encompassing varied crops and livestock species. This is also known as Smart Farming, Green Farming, Modern Farming, or Technical Farming. AI systems should be developed and deployed with consideration for local communities, indigenous knowledge, and historically marginalised groups. A sound theoretical framework is a useful basis for guiding the development of specific technical applications of artificial intelligence.

 

 

Author(s) Details

 

Sameer Daniel
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, SHUATS, Prayagraj-211 007 (U.P.), India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v4/6182

Exploring the Diversity and Infestation of Mistletoes in Cultivation of Sengon (Falcataria falcata (L.) Greuter & R.Rankin) in Malang East Java Indonesia | Chapter 5 | Geography, Earth Science and Environment: Research Highlights Vol. 3

Aims: To invent the diversity and infestation of mistletoes and their hosts in several planting patterns of sengon (Falcataria falcata (Miq.) (L.) Greuter & R. Rankin).

Study Design: Explorative and descriptive.

Place and Duration of Study: Malang Regency, East Java, Indonesia at an altitude of about 100 - 900 m asl from September until December 2021.

Methodology: Data on mistletoes and their hosts was collected by exploratory and descriptive methods in ten districts and twenty villages. Purposive sampling was used and determined along tracks in line transects where sengon cultivation was found. Sample plots of 10x10 m were determined and made in each planting pattern to enumerate the number of mistletoes, hosts, and infested hosts. They are used to determine the severity infestation of mistletoes on the hosts.

Results: There were two species of mistletoe discovered in sixteen planting patterns of sengon, i.e., Scurrula atropurpurea (Blume) Danser and Viscum ovalifolium L. S. atropurpurea was the most dominant mistletoe with parasite number of 906 individuals. The highest number of trees, infested trees, and mistletoes were obtained in the monoculture pattern of sengon. The severity index of mistletoes infestation varied between the planting patterns. The average value of the severity index in all cultivation patterns of sengon was categorized as low.

Conclusion: Scurrula atropurpurea (Blume) Danser and Viscum ovalifolium L. are the two species of mistletoe discovered in the cultivation of sengon in Malang Regency. The most dominant mistletoe was S. atropurpurea with a parasite number of 906 individuals. The highest number of trees, infested trees, and mistletoes were obtained in the monoculture pattern of sengon. The heaviest severity index of mistletoes infestation was found in tangerine citrus + sengon i.e., 15. The average value of the severity index in all cultivation patterns of sengon was categorized as low, i.e., 5.28.

 

Author (s) Details

Solikin Solikin
Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jl. Raya Jakarta Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor West Java 16911, Indonesia.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/geserh/v3/3689

Potential African Agroforestry Systems for Livelihood Security| Chapter 2 | Current Topics in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 7

Background and Scope: The word "agroforestry" was established in the mid-1970s to emphasise the essential and multi-faceted function of trees on farms across the world. Agroforestry, according to the current ICRAF definition, is "a dynamic, ecologically based natural resources management system that diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic, and environmental benefits for land users at all levels through the integration of trees in farms and in the agricultural landscape."

The purpose of this chapter was to evaluate and synthesise studies on the continent's existing agroforestry systems. Furthermore, the study focuses on integrating agroforestry systems to long-term livelihoods, taking into account social/cultural, economic/financial, and environmental/ecological advantages, as well as identifying and presenting agroforestry concerns in Africa. The goal of this study was to determine the possibility for African countries to employ agroforestry as a strategy for promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Agroforestry systems in Africa were divided into three categories. Agrisilvicultural systems (crops, including shrub, vine, and tree crops) and trees with the following technologies: I Improved fallow/shifting cultivation; (ii) Taungya; (iii) Alley cropping (hedgerow intercropping); (iv) Multilayer tree gardens; (v) Multipurpose trees on crop lands; (vi) Plantation crop combinations; (vii) Homegardens; (ix) Shelterbelts and windbreaks, live hedges; and (x) Fuelwood production Silvopastoral systems (trees Plus pasture and/or animals) are the second category, which includes: Plantation crops with pastures and animals I Trees on rangeland or pastures; (ii) Protein/Fodder banks; and (iii) Plantation crops with pastures and animals. Agrosilvopastoral systems (trees + crops + pasture/animals) are the third category, which includes: I Animal-friendly home gardens; (ii) Multipurpose woody hedgerows; (iii) Apiculture with trees/Beekeeping; (iv) Aquaforestry/Fisheries; and (vi) Rotational woodlots. There was another important feature of sustainable management of natural forests and woods, which might be related to trees and shrubs, in addition to the three categories. The acceptance and growth of agroforestry systems in Africa is too sluggish, according to research, and this chapter discussed elements that might directly or indirectly impact agroforestry adoption among smallholder farmers in Africa. A review of recent case studies links poor agroforestry adoption and scaling up to a number of factors, including: I a lack of understanding of the benefits of agroforestry/ignorance of the advantages of agroforestry; (ii) delayed return on investment and under-developed markets; (iii) a focus on commercial agriculture; (iv) mass agricultures' focus on using fertilisers and pesticides; (v) a lack of tree seed supplies; and (vi) (viii) Market restrictions; (ix) Inadequate extension work and research; (x) Lack of ability, knowledge, and awareness; (xii) Lack of interest; (xiv) Gender and age; (xv) Policy constraints and Adverse Regulations; and (xv) Policy constraints and Adverse Regulations As a result, pushing agroforestry on the policy agenda is critical and urgent. The following are the basic facts for choosing to develop and regulate agroforestry through policies: I To remove legal and institutional barriers to agroforestry; (ii) To promote favourable agroforestry outcomes; and (iii) To pay farmers for delayed returns. Africa might benefit from lessons learned from African and international agroforestry success stories. These lessons include that for agroforestry to thrive, four concerns must be addressed: I Agroforestry only occurs when it benefits farmers; (ii) Tenure rights must be protected; (iii) Agroforestry connects sectors; and (iv) Forest management standards must be strictly enforced.

Conclusion: In order to establish and develop packages of agroforestry systems in Africa, five imperatives must be observed: I It is critical to transition from traditional to modern farming systems; (ii) It is critical to shift from a sectoral to a multi-sectoral to an inter-sectoral approach to farming (Integrated farming); (iii) There is significant potential for small-scale forest enterprise development (agroforestry); and (iv) There is a pressing need for effective forest.

Author(s) Details:

Cliff S. Dlamini,
Center for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), Botswana.

Stanley Dlamini,
Independent Environmental and Agriculture Consultant, P.O.Box 7514, Manzini, Eswatini, M200, Botswana.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CTAS-V7/article/view/6778

Addressing the Soil Infertility Conundrum through Agroforestry: Empirical Evidence from Cameroon | Chapter 13 | Challenging Issues on Environment and Earth Science Vol. 7

 The fertility of the soil has a big impact on agricultural productivity. However, soil infertility has become a global trend in recent years, owing primarily to climate change and poor agricultural practises. Soil infertility is a key stumbling obstacle to agricultural expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa in general, and Cameroon in particular. This study was conducted out against this backdrop to determine the effect of agroforestry in improving soil fertility in agricultural systems in south western Cameroon. Both biophysical and socioeconomic data were collected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in Excel 2013 and SPSS 17.0. The biggest limits to crop yield, according to the findings, were a lack of access to improved planting materials (100 percent) and little or no control over stress factors such as soil fertility (100 percent ). Farmers used a variety of agrochemicals, the most frequent of which were insecticides and fungicides. Farmers utilised three primary agroforestry systems: agrosilvicultural (93 percent), agrosilvopastoral (70 percent), and silvopastoral (31 percent). Farmers recognised crop production declines (100 percent), tuber rotting (100 percent), and crop stem wilting as the most common symptoms of soil infertility (100 percent ). Agro-chemicals, fowl droppings, enhanced planting seeds, erosion-control farming, horizontal bunds or ridges on steep terrain, and agroforestry were the most popular strategies employed to combat soil infertility. The main effects of soil infertility on farmers were feeding issues, difficulties attending to children's and family's social requirements, and financial challenges. High input prices, low farm produce prices, poor seeds/planting materials, and lousy roads heightened farmers' sensitivity to the negative consequences of soil infertility. Farmers concerned with soil infertility used live fences and scattered trees on croplands as the two most frequent agroforestry approaches. The diverse nature of the tree species found in the system, as well as the dispersed nature of the trees across the entire farmland, showed that scattered trees on croplands contributed more to improving soil fertility. This could be attributed to the diverse nature of the tree species found in the system and the dispersed nature of the trees across the entire farmland. Based on these findings, we advocate that more farmers adopt the practise of scattering trees on croplands to boost their farmland fertility. Policymakers should also implement favourable policies that promote the use of agroforestry.

Author(S) Details

Azembouh Roshinus Tsufac
Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 222, Dschang; University of Dschang, Cameroon.

Nyong Princely Awazi
Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon.

Martin Ngankam Tchamba
Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 222, Dschang; University of Dschang, Cameroon.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/CIEES-V7/article/view/4270