Thesis by AGENA ANJULO DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY AGROFORESTRY 2009

201 Pages·2010·2.94 MB·English

COMPONENT INTERACTIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE
PRODUCTION OF APPLE BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM
IN WET TEMPERATE ZONE OF HIMACHAL HIMALAYAS

Thesis

by

AGENA ANJULO
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

in
AGROFORESTRY

COLLEGE OF FORESTRY
Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of
Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan – 173 230 (H.P.), India
2009
Dr. K.S. Verma Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry
Professor College of Forestry
Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Nauni-Solan – 173 230 (H.P.)

CERTIFICATE - I
This is to certify that the thesis entitled, “Component interactions and their
influence on the production of apple based agroforestry system in wet temperate zone of
Himachal Himalayas” submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of
degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in AGROFORESTRY to Dr Yashwant Singh
Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.) is a record of bonafide
research work carried out by Mr. Agena Anjulo (F-2006-01-D) under my guidance and
supervision. No part of this thesis has been submitted for any other degree or diploma.
The assistance and help received during the course of investigations has been fully
acknowledged.

Place: Nauni, Solan (K.S. Verma)
Dated: Chairman
Advisory committee
CERTIFICATE – II
This is to certify that the thesis entitled, “Component interactions and their
influence on the production of apple based agroforestry system in wet temperate zone of
Himachal Himalayas,” submitted by Mr. Agena Anjulo (F-2006-01-D) to Dr. Yashwant
Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.) in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in
AGROFORESTRY has been approved by the student’s Advisory Committee after an oral
examination of the same in collaboration with the external examiner.

_________________________ ______________________
Dr. K.S. Verma External Examiner
Chairman
Advisory Committee

Members of Advisory Committee

__________________________ ______________________
Dr. P.S. Thakur Dr. J.N. Raina
(Dept. of Silviculture and Agroforestry) (Dept. Soil Science and Water Management)

________________________
Dr. D.D. Sharma
Co-opted in
Place of
Dr. S.D. Sharma
(Dept. of Fruit Science)

________________________________
Professor and Head
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry

_______________________________

Dean’s Nominee

_______________________________
Dean

College of Forestry
CERTIFICATE – III

This is to certify that all the mistakes and errors pointed out by the external examiner
have been incorporated in the thesis entitled “Component interactions and their influence
on the production of apple based agroforestry system in wet temperate zone of
Himachal Himalayas,” submitted to Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture
and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.) by Mr. Agena Anjulo (F-2006-01-D) in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in
AGROFORESTRY.

____________________________
Dr. K.S. Verma
Professor
Chairman, Advisory Committee

_________________________________________
Professor and Head
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry
Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry
Nauni, Solan (H.P.)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My accomplishment would be incoherent without a formal salutation to the almighty “Jesus Christ”
who bestowed me health, strength, courage and determination to cross important milestones of academic
carriers. His blessing and loving kindness has brought me up to this achievement.

With an overwhelming wisdom of legitimate pride and genuine obligation I seize this opportunity to
put forward my profound sense of gratitude to my loving father Ato Anjulo Tanga and my late mother W/ro
Amarrae Adeto for sending me to school, caring and bringing me up to make a dream turn into verity.

I express my heartfelt esteem and indebtedness to the chairman of my advisory committee Dr. K. S.
Verma, Professor and Head of the department of environmental sciences for his expert guidance and constant
encouragement throughout the course of the investigation. My sincere thanks are also due to the members of my
advisory committee; Dr. P. S. Thakur, Dr. J. N. Raina, and Dr. S. D. Sharma for sharing their views when ever it
was necessary.

My vocabulary falls short to express my reverence and gratitude to my wife W/ro Habtamnesh Adane
for the silent suffering demanding least of my attention in caring to our children. My children Yonathan, Eden
and Dawit also deserve thanks and recognition for being good at home in my absence, cooperating with their
mother and encouraging me with their small letters.

My sincere thanks are to my brother Temesgen Anjulo and cousin brothers Wondimu Utto, Getachew
Guja and his family; brother in-law Ato Shiferaw Sinta and his family; my sisters: Awash, Shonkore, Abebech,
Ashame, Abaynesh and Bahirwa; sister in-law W/ro Dinke Adane for cheering and keeping in touch with my
family in my absence.

I am grateful to my college staffs and friends in Ethiopia viz. Dr. Melaku Bekele, Dr. Zebene Asfaw,
Dr. Tesfaye Teklay, Dr. Tsegaye Bekele, Dr. Abdu Abdelkader, Ato Girma Kelboro, Ato Tefera Mengistu, Ato
Zerihun Demirew, Ato Bereket Roba, Dr. Gessesse Dessie, Dr Abdela Gure, W/ro Belaynesh Zewdie and many
more for their encouragement and support.

I am very much thankful to Dr. J. C. Sharma, Dr K. K. Raina, Dr S. D. Bhardwaj, Dr. S. D. Kachyap,
Dr. D. Tripathi, Dr. N. K. Gupta, Mr. Sohan Lal, Mr. Padam, and Mr. Juneja who encouraged and supported me.

I thank also those who helped me during my laboratory work; Dr. J. K. Sharma, Dr. Smriti, Ms Reena
Joshi, Mr. Bhalander Singh, Mr. Hussein Mohammed, Mr. Muktar Mohammed, Mr Parvez Ahmad, among
which Dr. Smriti deserves special mention.

Unforgettable is the help from Dr Mani Ram Rana and his family and parents at Baragran village in
Kullu, facilitating their apple orchards for my experimentation, moreover, the herbal tea and sweet lunch I was
offered every time I visited them.

At last but not least my gratitude is to Ethiopian Government, Ministry of Education who sponsored
this study; the Embassy staffs at New Delhi also deserve thanks for brilliant and fast facilitation of the fees.

Needless to say, errors and omissions are mine

Place : Nauni
Date : 14-12-2009 (Agena Anjulo)
CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE(S)

1. INTRODUCTION 1-4
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5-22
3. MATERIALS AND METHODS 23-34
4. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS 35-88
5. DISCUSSION 89-118
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 119-130
7. REFERENCES 131-140
ABSTRACT 141
APPENDICES I-XLVIII
LLIISSTT OOFF TTAABBLLEESS
Table Title Page(s)

1. Farmers’ agro-techniques for annual field and vegetable crops ……… 27
2. Soil chemical analysis: methods and instruments used………………. 29
3. Growth and yield performance of wheat grown under apple based agri-
horticulture system in the rabi season …………………………………. 37
4. Growth and yield performance of pea grown under apple based agri-
horticulture system in the rabi season ………………………………… 38
5. Growth and yield performance of field bean grown under apple based
agri- horticulture system in the kharif season …………………………. 40
6. Growth and yield performance of tomato grown under apple based
agri- horticulture system in the kharif season …………………………. 40
7. Crown spread (m) and fruit yield (kg/tree) of apple grown under agri-
horticulture system …………………………………………………….. 41
8a. Apple tree phenology (growth stages from dormancy to fruit set) in an
agrihorticulture system during March 2008 and 2009 ……………….. 43
8b. Apple tree phenology (growth stages from dormancy to fruit set) in an
agri-horticulture system during April to May 2008 and 2009…………. 44
9. Status of available N,P,K (kg/ha) at the end of cropping seasons in the
soils under apple based agri-horticulture system classified by cropping
61
season and soil layer ……………………………………………………
10. Available nitrogen balance (kg/ha) in surface and subsurface soil layers
of apple based agri-horticulture system ………………………………... 64
11. Available phosphorus balance (kg/ha) in surface and subsurface soil
layers of apple based agri-horticulture system …………………….. 65
12. Available potassium balance (kg/ha) in surface and subsurface soil
layers of apple based agri-horticulture system ………………………… 67
13. Status of DTPA extractable Fe and Zn in the soil at the end of cropping
seasons under apple based agri-horticulture system classified by
cropping season and soil layer …………………………………………. 68
14. Status of DTPA extractable Mn and Cu in the soil at the end of

cropping seasons under apple based agri-horticulture system classified
70
by cropping season and soil layer …………………………………….
Table Title Page(s)

15. Soil pH and electrical conductivity at the end of cropping seasons

under apple based agri-horticulture system classified by cropping

72
season and soil layer …………………………………………………...
16. Populations of VAM fungi spore, total bacteria and Rhizobium spp. at
0-15 cm soil layer at the end of cropping seasons under apple based
agri-horticulture system classified by cropping season ……………….. 76
17. Populations of Azotobacter, actinomycetes and total fungi at 0-15cm
soil layer at the end of cropping seasons under apple based agri-
horticulture system classified by cropping season ……………………. 78
18. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu concentrations in wheat under
apple based agri-horticulture system in the rabi season ………………. 80
19. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu concentrations in tomato under
apple based agri-horticulture system in the kharif season …………….. 81
20. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu concentrations in pea under
apple based agri-horticulture system in the rabi season ………………. 82

21. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu concentrations in field bean under
apple based agri-horticulture system in the kharif season ……………. 83

22. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn & Cu concentrations in apple under
agri-horticulture system …………………………………………… 84

23. Cost of cultivation, and returns from wheat and pea crops under apple
based agri-horticulture system ………………………………………… 85

24. Cost of cultivation, and returns from tomato and field bean crops
under apple based agri-horticulture system …………………………… 86

25. Crop average yield (q/ha), expenses and returns (Rs/ha) from annual
crops in apple based agri-horticulture system ………………………… 87
26. Crop average yield (q/ha), expenses and returns from control fields
comparative to apple based agr-horticulture system ………………. 88
27. Apple fruit yield, expenses and returns over two years under agri-
horticulture system …………………………………………………… 88
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Title Page(s)

1. A map of Himachal Pradesh showing location of the study site …… 23
2. Per cent relative illumination under apple at different distances
47
during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi season …….
3. Per cent relative illumination at different distances under apple
49
during active growth stages of annual crops in the kharif season …..
4. Beneath canopy temperature (oC) under apple at different distances
50
during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi season ……..
5. Beneath canopy temperature (oC) under apple at different distances
51
during active growth stages of annual crops in the kharif season …..
6. Soil temperature (oC) at different distance and soil layer of 0-15cm
under apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi
52
season ……………………………………………………………….
7. Soil temperature (oC) at different distance and soil layer of 15-30cm
under apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi
54
season ……………………………………………………………….
8. Soil temperature (oC) at different distance and 0-15cm soil layer
under apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the
55
kharif season ………………………………………………………..
9. Soil temperature (oC) at different distance and 15-30cm soil layer
under apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the
56
kharif season ……………………………………………………….
10. Soil moisture (%) at different distance and 0-15cm soil layer under
57
apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi season
11. Soil moisture (%) at different distance and 15-30cm soil layer under
57
apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the rabi season
Figure Title Page(s)

12. Soil moisture (%) at different distance and 0-15cm soil layer under
apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the kharif
58
season ……………………………………………………………….
13. Soil moisture (%) at different distance and 15-30cm soil layer under
apple during active growth stages of annual crops in the kharif
59
season ………………………………………………………………
14. Variations in soil organic carbon (%) at the end of cropping season
under apple based agri-horticulture system classified by cropping
73
season and soil layer ………………………………………………..
15. Variations in soil bulk density (g/cm3), at the end of cropping
season under apple based agri-horticulture system classified by
73
cropping season and soil layer ……………………………………..
16. Dynamics in pooled carbon stock (Mg/ha) at 0-30cm soil layer year
wise over two years in seasons under apple based agri-horticulture
74
system ……………………………………………………………...