Evaluation of Farmer’s Woodlots: A Common Agroforestry System Used to Establish Forest Plantations

Abstract

Farmer’s woodlot is a common agroforestry system used to establish forest plantations while increasing farmer’s income and proper utilization of marginal lands. This study was conducted to evaluate the farmer’s woodlots established in dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. 17 teak plantations were selected from three districts. Three farmer’s woodlots from each plantation were randomly selected for the data collection and 170 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire survey. dbh and total height were measured for the trees and soil samples were collected to determine organic carbon, nitrates, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Growth of teak in farmer’s woodlots was less than the average growth rates of the yield tables. Soil nutrients were present at very low levels and calcium was detected only in four plantations. Nitrate, potassium and magnesium were significantly different between the selected plantations and only nitrate was significantly correlated with teak growth. All farmers requested to extend the present 25-year land lease agreement to earn more income from teak. Poor site quality, damage caused by wild elephants, fire, insects and pests were common so that both timber growth and the yield of seasonal crops was low. Lack of technical support was also highlighted.