Studies on functional components of apple-based agroforestry system in Mandi district of the wet temperate region of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The present investigation entitled Apple-based agroforestry systems of wet temperate region of district Mandi was carried out for two consecutive years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The study area was divided into four altitudinal zones as A1 (1500-1800 m), A2 (1801-2100 m), A3 (2101-2400 m) and A4 (2401-2700 m). In each altitudinal zone, 3 villages were randomly selected and within each villages 15 farmers were selected and categorised as marginal, small and semi-medium on the bases of their land holding. A total of 180 households were surveyed and interviewed. The results revealed that the farmers were cash crops like Zea mays, Brasssica oleracea var. capitata, Vigno mungo, Phaseolus vulgaris, Solanum tuberosum, Pisum sativum, Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum as a cash crops and Amaranthus caudatus, Eleusin coracana, Chenopodium album as the traditional crops under apple based agroforestry system. They also retained the grasses like, Chrysopogon gryllus, Dactylis glomerata, Chrysopogon montanus, Digitaria stricta, Dichanthium annulatum, Themeda anathera, Cynodon dactylon, Festuca arundinacea, Desmostachya binnata, Bothriochloa pertusa, Cynodon dactylon and Bromus inermis etc.