Co-Design and set-up of innovative fruit-based agroforestry cropping system in Belgium

• Jamar, L. , Rondia, A.. , Lateur, M.. , Stilmant, D. , Minet, L.. & Froncoux, A. (2015). Co-Design and set-up of innovative fruit-based agroforestry cropping system in Belgium. Poster in: Int Symp. on Innovation in Integrated and Organic Horticulture (INNOHORT), Avignon, June 2015.

Type	Poster
Year	2015
Title	Co-Design and set-up of innovative fruit-based agroforestry cropping system in Belgium
Event name	Int Symp. on Innovation in Integrated and Organic Horticulture (INNOHORT),
Event location	Avignon
Label	U2-Jamar L.-2015
Event date	June 2015
Endnote Keywords	apple, cover crop, clover, ecosystem services, intercrop, Malus×domestica, organic farming, orchard, vegetable
Abstract	Multiple options exist to set up agroforestry systems combining pome fruit trees and vegetables. Proposals for different spatial arrangements and prototypes have been elaborated and evaluated through participative discussions involving scientists, advisors and farmers. Key challenges will be to optimize economic/technical constraints and ecological principles stimulating natural regulation processes against pests and diseases in temperate climate. In 2014, an experimental agroforestry orchard has been planted at Gembloux, Belgium on a surface of one ha. The aim is to test three hypothesis: (i) a mixture of selected robust fruit and vegetable cultivars creates a functional biodiversity that reduce significantly the risk of pests and diseases, (ii) annual crops and tree canopies may have an impact on soil functioning, biological interactions and regulations, and (iii) in our optimized ratio and distances between vegetables and trees in intensified and organized alley-cropping systems, the tree shading does not reduce light levels below the threshold of light saturation. Two other on-farm fruit-based agroforestry cropping prototypes in Belgium are under process on two pilot farms according to the farmer’s production objectives such as (i) adaptation to mechanization which may limit plant interactions with perennial and/or annual crops, (ii) need for a diversified income per surface unit allowing economic viability of farms in a capital intensive economic system.
Fichier	Co-Design and set-up of innovative fruit-based agroforestry cropping system in Belgium
Authors	Jamar, L., Rondia, A.., Lateur, M.., Stilmant, D., Minet, L.., Froncoux, A.