Multipurpose trees are defined as woody perennials that are purposefully grown to provide more than one significant contribution to production and service functions of a land-use system. They provide food, fodder, timber, nitrogen fixation, soil erosion reduction, increased percolation, and extraction of heavy metals. Some multipurpose trees known to accumulate nutrients from precipitation or litter include Faidherbia albida in West Africa, Prosopis cineraria in Rajasthan, and Pinus caribea in Savanna. Multipurpose trees improve soil fertility, nutrient recycling, soil conservation, weed control, microclimate, and can help reclaim degraded lands through agroforestry.

1. MPT SOL
220
• By- Dr. Kamini Roy
• Associate Professor, Agricultural Chemistry
and soil science,
• Lovely Professional University, Phagwara
• (First ICAR Accredited University)
By Dr. Kamini Roy

2. Multi-purpose trees
By Dr. Kamini Roy

3. Introduction
Multipurpose trees are defined as all woody
perennials that are purposefully grown to provide
more than one significant contribution to the
production and/or service functions of a land-use
system.
They are so classified according to the attributes of
the plant species as well as to the plant's
functional role in the agroforestry technology under
consideration.
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

4. • Multipurpose trees are defined as
• A. all woody perennials that are
purposefully grown to provide more than
one significant contribution to the
production
• B. purposefully grown to provide service
functions of a land-use system.
• C. Both A and B
• D. None of these By Dr. Kamini
Roy

5. Contt...
• Multipurpose trees are part of agroforestry
system
• These are deliberatly grown for more than
one intended use such as food, fodder,
timber, nitrogen fixation, reduction in soil
erosion, increase in percolation, extraction
of heavy metals etc.
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

6. Uses of MPT's
1. Farming system: for better economy and
farm management, different crops/trees
should be incorporated.
2. Resource conservation: degraded lands
can only be improved through proper agro-
forestry, controlling erosion, runoff, moisture
harnessing maximum benefits from it.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

7. Contt....
3. Increased productivity: The basis of higher
productivity could be due to capture of more
growth resources, eg. light or water due to
improved soil fertility.
The provision of shade due to trees lead to a net
effect of complex interactions resulting into
microclimate amelioration, thus affecting
transpiration rate, photosynthesis and energy
balance, translating to increased productivity.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

8. 4. Improved soil fertility
Traditional methods
•Faidherbia albida in West Africa
•Prosopis cineraria in Rajasthan
•Pinus caribea in Savanna
are known to accumulate mineral nutrients due to the
process of capture of precipitation or nutrient rich litter
Advanced method
A new concept of alley cropping using fast growing,
nitrogen fixing trees, e.g. Leucaena leucocephala and
Gliricidia sepium, in the humid regions can increase fertility
in 2-3 years.
By Dr. Kamini Roy

9. • Which are known to accumulate mineral
nutrients due to the process of capture of
precipitation or nutrient rich litter
•A. Faidherbia albida in West Africa
•B. Prosopis cineraria in Rajasthan
•C. Pinus caribea in Savanna
•D. All of these
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

10. 5. Nutrient recycling
• Soil nutrients are removed through harvest,
runoff, erosion, leaching and other loss
pathways.
• In agro forestry trees provide additional
nutrient inputs via biological nitrogen
fixation and deep nutrient capture.
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

11. 6. Soil conservation
• Contour hedge rows have consistently
been demonstrated to be highly effective
in erosion control by providing a semi
permeable barrier to surface movement of
water, and mulch from trees reduce impact
of raindrop on soil minimizing splash and
sheet erosion.
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

12. 7. Weed control
• The effect of shade is more severe for light
demanding plants than shade tolerant,
which could suppress light demanding
weeds.
• Senna siamea controls weeds better than
Gliricidia sepium or Flemingia macrophylla
By Dr. Kamini Roy

13. • degraded lands can be improved through
• A. proper agro-forestry,
• B. controlling erosion
• C. runoff
• D. All of these
By Dr. Kamini Roy

14. 8. Micro climate improvement
• This results from the use of trees for shade, live fences
or wind breaks.
• Temperature, humidity, movement of air, temperature
and moisture of soil are affected by trees.
• The smaller temperature fluctuations under shade are
attributed to reduced radiation load on the crops during
the day and reduced heat loss during the night.
• A reduction in vapour pressure deficit will cause a
reduction in transpiration and hence reduced water
stress for intercrops.
By Dr. Kamini
Roy

15. By Dr. Kamini
Roy

16. By Dr. Kamini Roy

17. Acknowledge and Thanks
Author is immensely thankful
to all the websites and books
whom I contacted to make
these slides more informative
and attractive
By Dr.
Kamini Roy

18. WE SHALL OVERCOME
Stay healthy
By Dr.
Kamini Roy