The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a grant to a Lincoln University agroforestry researcher to develop an alley cropping system for research and practice that will provide assistance to small farmers in Missouri.
Sougata Bardhan, an assistant professor of natural resources management, will develop the system at Lincoln's George Washington Carver Farm near Jefferson City.
The nearly $400,000 Conservation Innovation Grant will help promote the development of new technologies, tools and strategies to support next-generation practices on working lands and develop market-based solutions to resources challenges, according to a news release.
Alley cropping is a system of creating rows of trees or shrubs to create alleys where agricultural crops are produced in between the rows. It's known to improve soil health, soil and water quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bardhan's system will integrate tree rows of high-yielding Chinese chestnut trees; the alley crops will include hybrid hazelnut, gooseberry, currants, and roselle or other berry crops. Furthermore, native pollinator strips will integrate honeybee hives into the system in effort to maximize financial returns as it protects biodiversity and wildlife habitat.
“Alley cropping offers an alternative to conventional agricultural practices that provides many benefits,” Bardhan said. “Farmers can produce diverse crops, leading to greater ecological and financial resilience. The marketing of climate-smart produce can help producers access a niche market of consumers concerned with climate change and eating local foods. With a small footprint and through cost-share mechanisms, this production system is ideally suited for small and marginal farmers in Missouri.”
As the project moves forward, Bardhan said he hopes to share the benefits with small farmers in Missouri. Bardhan highlighted how a majority of Missouri farms are operated by small, minority farmers with limited resources. With this project, the system will be able to provide a larger yield of specialty crops that will provide an efficient alternative to their production practice.
Source: komu.com
Photo Credit: Lincoln University
Categories: Missouri, Crops