Descriptions

Indian farming landscapes have massive tree deficits leading to a loss of resilience to climate change. There is ample evidence to show that agroforestry enhances productivity, nutrition, soil fertility, biodiversity conservation, microclimate improvement, and is key to restoration and climate resilience etc. However, despite of many benefits of agroforestry, scaling is not happening due to various factors, one of them lack of site-specific recommendations for appropriate agroforestry models and the availability of Quality Planting Materials (QPM) like seeds, seedlings, clones, hybrids, improved varieties, etc. of healthy, resilient and adaptable nursery stock must be made available to farmers. QPM can be considered as part of a value chain that begins with the source of tree seed and ends at the market for the tree product or environmental service, or even at the consumer level. The quality of the initial input, which is the tree seed source determines the productivity and quality of the product or service at the end of the chain.

Mainstreaming of agroforestry becomes key for sustainable land and natural resources management, it also plays a vital role in the restoration of degraded and depleted landscapes while enhancing livelihood security and additional income. Successful scaling up of agroforestry needs innovative cutting-edge digital tools and technology for scaling with site-specific interventions from the choice of agroforestry models, a combination of crops, trees and livestock to management practices and linkage of the sustainable value chains. The right agroforestry system with the right QPM is key through niche modelling, also known as species distribution modelling, which is a process that utilizes location-specific variables to identify suitable models with specific species and combinations. The recent advances in AI and ML techniques in conjunction with satellite remote sensing and digitally enabled citizen science offer immense potential for enhancing decision-making, improving productivity, and optimizing resource use management. Mobile applications have become increasingly popular and convenient tools for revolutionizing the conventional approaches of agroforestry services, making them an ideal platform for integrating AI-ML-driven tools. A robust M&E system allows stakeholders to track tree growth, health, and ecosystem services for agroforestry management. It assists in identifying areas for improvement, measuring the effectiveness of treatments, and making appropriate decisions.

This scientific research project, focusing on niche modeling, aims to revolutionize tree selection practices and agroforestry systems and provide small-holder farmers with valuable, handy, and actionable information and post-harvest and market information.