Limitations of Agro-forestry
Agro-forestry does have Certain Negative Aspects:
1. Possible competition of trees with food crops for space, sunlight, moisture and nutrient which may reduce crop yield.
2. Damage to food crops during harvesting of trees.
3. Potential of trees is serving as hosts to insects and birds.
4. Rapid regeneration of profile trees may displace food crops and take over entire fields.
Through skilled management practices any or all these aspects can be controlled. For example, once it is known that trees complete with food crops and may reduce food yields, it is easy to adopt some of the following strategies.
1. Select legume trees that have small or light crowns so that sunlight will reach the food crops.
2. Select trees that are deep-rooted so that they will also absorb moisture and nutrients from the deeper subsoil.
3. Space the trees further apart to reduce their competitive effect on the food crop.