Farm-Forestry Design at Jeypore Block (Koraput), India

The renewed focus on developing ecologically resilient and socially acceptable design of farm-forestry has gained momentum in the wake of increasing farmers’ income. The social embeddedness of farm-forestry design, with appropriate extension and market provisioning, can contribute significantly to improve ecosystem services, economic growth, and poverty alleviation. This must be investigated with extensive understanding of field veracity.

To fill the gap, this study proposed site specific and scientifically backed farm-forestry design, with traditional – tacit – knowledge at its core. Extensive field study was conducted with an objective of analyzing current farm-forestry practices at five blocks (covering 47 villages and 107 farmers) of Koraput district, Odisha.

The study documents the importance of on-farm soil and water conservation practices in maintaining soil nutrient and farm productivity. Use of appropriate sowing and weeding practices had shown positive impact on seedling growth. With underlying principal of social acceptability and ecological suitability, the study proposed the farm-forestry design with intercropping of horticulture (like Turmeric, Ginger, Pineapple etc), field crops (like Ragi, Arhar, Sorghum, Maize, Niger etc.) and medicinal plants (like Acorus calamus, Asparagus abascendus, Centalla asiatica etc.).