GH1 - Silvoarable
GH1 - Silvoarable
The first silvoarable agroforestry system was established in February 2020 with the aim of reducing the erosion risk of the field. Using an alley cropping design, six tree strips were established across 3.5 hectares perpendicular to the slope. In total, over 750 trees and shrubs were planted for fruit, timber and biomass utilization.
Three of the tree strips represent the most common agroforestry system types in Germany with poplar, apple and timber. The other three strips follow the approach of successional agroforestry systems and combine the three types of woody plants mentioned above. In a successional agroforestry system, the aim is to copy the structure and dynamics of natural ecosystems with useful plants. More information on the concept developed by Ernst Götsch in Brazil can be found here.
The 3 meter wide tree strips consist of the tree row and a buffer zone sown with clover-grass. The 18 meter wide strips of arable land are cultivated with the Gladbacherhof's 8-year crop rotation. In addition to cereals, the crop rotation also includes a 2-year cultivation of alfalfa grass as fodder for livestock.
All images on this page are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Image sources: © Agroforst Gladbacherhof | author (Eva-Maria Minarsch (Image 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8), Philipp Weckenbrock (Image 2), Michael Hauschild (Image 4)).
Conference contribution for the KTBL Tage 2021 "Acker trägt Bäume- Etablierung eines diversen Agroforstsystems für Praxis und Forschung".