Quantifying the Trade-Off Between Tree and Crop Productivity on Farms

  • 65 pages

  • Published: 26 Nov 2005

  • Author(s): Carberry, P, Huth, N, Brennan, P Poulton L

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The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) is a computer model which simulates cropping systems, to help in farm decision-making. This project added to APSIM the capability to simulate complex agroforestry systems, and used this to assess the productivity and risk of investment in commercial agroforestry on grain farms in Australia’s medium to low rainfall regions. The project also measured tree-crop competition to provide input data for the model, as there were few data available.

This report details the capability of the APSIM modelling framework to simulate two-dimensional agroforestry systems; that is, systems which simulate many points in a crop or tree area and the interaction between adjacent crops. This new APSIM capability was used in preliminary economic assessments of the feasibility of planting tree windbreaks at selected sites in Australia. These and other simulations were also used interactively with landholders to allow them to assess agroforestry options for their own farms.

This project has helped create a tool that can be readily applied in other locations and landholder circumstances. It is hoped that this exciting capability will be made available to landholders interested in agroforestry investment options. The report will help researchers and extension to assess the productivity and risk of investment in commercial agroforestry in Australia’s medium to low rainfall regions.