Competition effects and economic scenarios in an agroforestry system with cereal crops and wood plantations: a case study in the Po Valley (Italy)

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the economic feasibility of agroforestry management in temperate latitudes. The surveys carried out in 1971 by Prevosto on the yields of wheat and rice combined with poplars was revised with updated prices to assess whether an agroforestry system can positively influence farm incomes. Based on Prevosto’s dataset, four scenarios were simulated with poplar clone I-214, assuming four different positions of the poplar row (along the field borders, towards the cardinal points) and the relative shadows. The results show that the agroforestry system is economically advantageous, especially for wheat, and is directly related to wood price. The achievable benefits could be more significant with political and financial support that promotes these practices, taking into account the fundamental ecosystem services they provide.

Keywords

• Agroforestry
• Poplar
• Cereal Crop
• Shading Effect
• Tree Row Orientation
• Economic Evaluation