Forest Farming
Learn about forest farming, including primary Field Office Technical Guide practices, primary purposes, key design elements, and tree/shrub species requirements.
Description
Plantings consisting of an overstory of trees or shrubs with an understory of specialty or agronomic crops or forage. Tree-to-tree distance is wide enough to let sufficient light through to understory crops or forage. "Forest Farming" is a form of multistory cropping. Tree canopies of native forests would be managed to allow the production of such crops or forage.
Some Primary FOTG Practices for this System
- Multi-story Cropping (379)
- Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
- Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
- Residue Management (329, 344)
- Access Control (472) or Prescribed Grazing (528)
- Pasture and Hay Planting (512)
- Nutrient Management (590)
- Pest Management (595)
- Irrigation System (441), Irrigation Water Management (449)
Primary Purposes
- To produce wood or tree products in addition to agronomic crops or forage
- To improve crop or forage quality and quantity by enhancing microclimatic conditions
- To improve utilization and recycling of soil nutrients for crop or forage use
- To reduce excess subsurface water or control water table depths
- To provide favorable habitat for species beneficial to crops or forage
Key Design Elements
Trees are planted or native forests managed at a sufficiently wide spacing to allow adequate light to the understory crops or forage and permit passage of the widest field equipment width. Generally, mature tree canopy ranges from 5 to 40 percent crown cover.
Tree/Shrub Species Requirements
- High value species adapted to the soil/climate of the planting site.
- Low to moderate root and crown spread to minimize competition with understory crops.
- Tolerance of agricultural fertilizers and traffic on surficial root.
- Resistance to pests and herbicides.
- High resistance to stem and branch breakage from high winds, ice and snow as applicable to the site.