In order to improve the understanding of existing agroforestry systems in Central Asia, SUFACHAIN will describe and analyse existing systems along a height and water availability gradient. Based on these analyses, new agro-silvopastoral and/or silvopastoral systems will be developed, which include, in addition to fruit and nut trees, lucrative crops and forage plants and/or farm animals, and take into account water extraction and drip irrigation technologies.
The solutions should also be resistant to climate change-related stressors. The performance of these agroforestry systems is evaluated in field tests and the plant development is compared with existing cultivation systems. In addition to estimating water consumption, a particular focus is on the detailed quantification of nutrient consumption and the carbon storage of plants and soils in existing and new systems.
