1Main Sugarcane Research Station & Dept. of Natural Resource Management, College of Forestry, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, NAU, Navsari-396450, Gujarat
2Dept. of Natural Resource Management, College of Forestry, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, NAU, Navsari-396450, Gujarat
*Email- shedageswati85@gmail.com
Online published on 26 December, 2017.
The study was taken up to analyse the tangible and intangible benefits derived from traditional sugarcane based agroforestry system followed by farmers. The major objective of the study was to evaluate the sugarcane based agroforestry systems, estimate the Benefit: Cost ratio and to assess the other biophysical benefits of trees. Tree species like Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea, Eucalyptus spp., Casuarina equisetifolia and Leucaena leucocephala are dominant species in traditional agroforestry system (AFS). Teak-sugarcane based agroforestry gave highest B: C ratio of 3.9, followed by G. arborea (1.6). Whereas, Eucalyptus/C. equisetifolia; L. Leucocephala-sugarcane systems the benefit-cost ratio was 1.4, 1.3 and 1.3, respectively which is nearly equivalent to the B: C ratio for sugarcane sole cultivation. It was found that sugarcane based AFS becomes more profitable especially when it is surrounded by the T. grandis and G. arborea as compared to sugarcane alone, Eucalyptus, C. equisetifolia and L. leucocephala.
Agroforestry, sugarcane, benefit cost ratio, economics
