Studies on Adoption of Traditional Agroforestry among the Farmers in District Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Sonbhadra is one of the important districts in Uttar Pradesh, where characteristic feature of growing trees in the farm land under traditional agroforestry system is continuing since generations. Present study was done to find out adoption status of predominant agroforestry practice in the district. Total 300 farmers were selected from six blocks of the district by a multistage sampling and semi-structured questionnaire survey was conducted among them. Madhuca latifolia, Butea monosperma and Tectona grandis trees were found highly adopted under agri-silviculture system on farmlands of the study area, wheareas, Emblica officinalis and Psidium guava were given first preference by the respondents for future adoption under agroforestry. Low water requiring crops were generally grown in combination with tree component under different agroforestry systems. Farmer prefer boundary planting and scattered planting pattern to grow tree species in their farmland under agroforestry system. Policy problem, shading effect, lack of market facility, long gestation period of tree and difficulty in cultural operation were expressed as main constraints in growing and further expansion of agroforestry trees on farm land in the district Sonbhadra.