Authors: Chidanandamurthy G
Abstract: This study compares productivity and carbon performance of organic agroforestry (ORG-AF) and conventional agroforestry (CON-AF) using paired plots under similar soil and climatic conditions. Six pairs of 0.25 ha plots were monitored for three years. System productivity was calculated as the sum of all marketable crop and tree products per hectare, while carbon stocks were derived from tree and crop biomass and soil organic carbon (0-30" " cm). Life cycle inventories of all inputs and field operations were compiled to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints per hectare and per kilogram of product. CON-AF achieved higher system yields (mean 5,808" " kgha^(-1)) than ORG-AF (mean 5,017 kgha^(-1)), a difference of about 16%. In contrast, tree biomass increment was greater in organic plots (3.55tha^(-1) yr^(-1)) than in conventional plots ( 2.55tha^(-1) yr^(-1)), and soil carbon increased faster in ORG-AF (0.43tCha-1yr^(-1)) than in CON-AF (0.16tCha^(-1) yr^(-1)). Total annual carbon stock change averaged 2.09tCha^(-1) yr^(-1) in ORG-AF and 1.36tCha^(-1) yr^(-1) in CON-AF. Area-based carbon footprints were 2,950 and 4,150" " kgCO_2-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1) for organic and conventional systems, respectively, while product-based footprints were 0.59 and 0.71" " kgCO_2-eq kg^(-1). Both systems acted as net carbon sinks, but net carbon balance was much higher in ORG-AF (4.7vs.0.8tCO_2-eq ha^(-1) yr^(-1)). The results show that organic agroforestry can maintain high productivity while substantially improving carbon efficiency and climate mitigation potential.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17720645
