IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i8p3301-d1376175.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of Trees on Crop Yields in Temperate Zone Alley Cropping Systems: A Review

Author

Listed:
  • Marie Majaura

    (Plant-Soil Systems (Former Soil Protection and Recultivation), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany)

  • Christian Böhm

    (Plant-Soil Systems (Former Soil Protection and Recultivation), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany)

  • Dirk Freese

    (Plant-Soil Systems (Former Soil Protection and Recultivation), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany)

Abstract

Agroforestry is a multifunctional land use system that represents a promising approach to mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture while enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems and ensuring sustainable food production. However, the tree rows in agroforestry systems, particularly in alley cropping systems (ACS), can affect crop productivity on adjacent agricultural fields through various mechanisms. Hence, concerns about declining yields and reduced farm profitability persist and explain the reluctance of farmers to implement ACS on their land. In this review, we examine the available literature on the effects of temperate ACS on yields of various agricultural crops to evaluate if and to what extent crop yields in ACS are affected by tree presence. We identified that ACS crop yields often vary substantially across different species, geographical locations, weather conditions and ACS designs. Our analysis also revealed that several parameters are modified in ACS by the presence of tree rows affecting crop yields positively or negatively and that ACS design aspects play a crucial role in determining crop productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie Majaura & Christian Böhm & Dirk Freese, 2024. "The Influence of Trees on Crop Yields in Temperate Zone Alley Cropping Systems: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-26, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3301-:d:1376175
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/8/3301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pardon, P. & Reubens, B. & Mertens, J. & Verheyen, K. & De Frenne, P. & De Smet, G. & Van Waes, C. & Reheul, D., 2018. "Effects of temperate agroforestry on yield and quality of different arable intercrops," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 135-151.
    2. George Pavlidis & Vassilios A. Tsihrintzis, 2018. "Environmental Benefits and Control of Pollution to Surface Water and Groundwater by Agroforestry Systems: a Review," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(1), pages 1-29, January.
    3. Gagné, Geneviève & Lorenzetti, François & Cogliastro, Alain & Rivest, David, 2022. "Soybean performance under moisture limitation in a temperate tree-based intercropping system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Masaya Ota & Yusuke Sakata & Takao Iijima, 2019. "Fair trade information eliminates the positive brand effect: product choice behavior in Japan," Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Gagné, Geneviève & Lorenzetti, François & Cogliastro, Alain & Rivest, David, 2022. "Soybean performance under moisture limitation in a temperate tree-based intercropping system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    3. Zhigao Wu & Kangning Xiong & Dayun Zhu & Jie Xiao, 2022. "Revelation of Coupled Ecosystem Quality and Landscape Patterns for Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Sustainability Improvement in the Karst Desertification Control," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-27, December.
    4. Lukas Beule & Ena Lehtsaar & Anna Rathgeb & Petr Karlovsky, 2019. "Crop Diseases and Mycotoxin Accumulation in Temperate Agroforestry Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-21, May.
    5. Richard Morris & Shannon Davis & Gwen-Aëlle Grelet & Pablo Gregorini, 2024. "Agroecology for the City—Spatialising ES-Based Design in Peri-Urban Contexts," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Shiyu Tang & Hao Yang & Yu Li, 2024. "Environmental Assessment and Restoration of the Hunjiang River Basin Based on the DPSIR Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Fei Yin & Chang-xin Xu, 2020. "Quantifying the Inter- and Intra-Annual Variations in Regional Water Consumption and Scarcity Incorporating Water Quantity and Quality," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(8), pages 2313-2327, June.
    8. Dmuchowski, Wojciech & Baczewska-Dąbrowska, Aneta H. & Gworek, Barbara, 2024. "The role of temperate agroforestry in mitigating climate change: A review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Low, Guy & Dalhaus, Tobias & Meuwissen, Miranda P.M., 2023. "Mixed farming and agroforestry systems: A systematic review on value chain implications," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    10. George Pavlidis & Ioanna Zotou & Helen Karasali & Anna Marousopoulou & Georgios Bariamis & Vassilios A. Tsihrintzis & Ioannis Nalbantis, 2022. "Performance of Pilot-scale Constructed Floating Wetlands in the Removal of Nutrients and Pesticides," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(1), pages 399-416, January.
    11. Mikko Tolkkinen & Saku Vaarala & Jukka Aroviita, 2021. "The Importance of Riparian Forest Cover to the Ecological Status of Agricultural Streams in a Nationwide Assessment," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(12), pages 4009-4020, September.
    12. Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa & Carlos Parra-López & Samir Sayadi-Gmada & Jesús M. Barandica & Alejandro J. Rescia, 2021. "Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-20, July.
    13. Jonathan P. Sheppard & Rafael Bohn Reckziegel & Lars Borrass & Paxie W. Chirwa & Claudio J. Cuaranhua & Sibylle K Hassler & Svenja Hoffmeister & Florian Kestel & Rebekka Maier & Mirko Mälicke & Christ, 2020. "Agroforestry: An Appropriate and Sustainable Response to a Changing Climate in Southern Africa?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-32, August.
    14. Notaro, Martin & Gary, Christian & Le Coq, Jean-François & Metay, Aurélie & Rapidel, Bruno, 2022. "How to increase the joint provision of ecosystem services by agricultural systems. Evidence from coffee-based agroforestry systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    15. Shouqin Zhong & Zhen Han & Jiangwen Li & Deti Xie & Qingyuan Yang & Jiupai Ni, 2020. "Mechanized and Optimized Configuration Pattern of Crop-Mulberry Systems for Controlling Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution on Sloping Farmland in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:8:p:3301-:d:1376175. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.