Agroforestry as an important part of organic farming in UKraine

V. Yukhnovskiy, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor
G. Lobchenko, Doctor of Philosophy,
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyiv, Ukraine

There are 6 agroforestry practices in Europe identified by Mosquera-Losada et al. (2009). Among them there are silvoarable agroforestry, forest farming, riparian buffer strips, improved fallow, multipurpose trees, silvopasture. Agroforestry systems are classified by their components, spatial and temporal arrangements, function, agro-ecological zone and socio-economic aspects. The AGFORWARD project supposed to divide agroforestry practices into systems or practices focused on high nature and cultural value, high value trees (e.g. olive and fruit trees), arable systems and livestock systems.
AGFORWARD (AGroFORestry that Will Advance Rural Development) is a four-year research project funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development. Ukraine is out of AGFORWARD project. But according to the official data of 2014 total area of agricultural lands in Ukraine is about 68,8 %, that is 0,2 % less, then in 2008 because of increase of forest lands for 0,1 % and occupy now 17,6% and build-up areas for 0,1 %. So, more than 85 % of Ukrainian lands must be orientated on sustainable nature use in forestry and agriculture.

There are more then 200 organic farms in Ukraine, that provides organic land use and don’t employ any dangerous products for ecosystems, health of people such as herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, mineral fertilizers and genetically modified organisms. For example, Semen Antonets heads unique organic agriculture farm Agroecology, which has been functioning since 37 years ago on the area of about 8.000 ha in Poltava region. Enterprise is certified as a manufacturer of organic crop production, according to standard which is equivalent to Council Regulation of the European Union. This enterprise doesn’t use herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, but uses manure, rotation of agricultural crops and every fourth yield leaves on the field and thus providing high-quality environmentally friendly products.

It’s well known, that insecticides cause a reduction in populations of bees. Last data says that declines in insectivorous birds are associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations. 95% neonicotinoids which are applied to the crops, brought of the destruction of insects, which make up the main diet for birds, especially during the emergence of hatchlings. In future it means less pollinator of crops and as a result damages in the general yield for agricultural enterprise. So, it means that even if in short period of time chemical products provide benefits for farmers, but in the long run they are threatened significant losses.

There is really effective way to increase the yield of crops using organic farming. The positive influence of the forest has been used since XIX century in the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine as a motherland of windbreaks afforestation has a lot of perspectives in combination of forests and agricultural fields in silvoarable agroforestry. Nowadays the total area of windbreaks is about 440 thousands ha and windbreaks cover percent is about 1,4 %, that is double less then optimal index. It’s true, that actual state of windbreaks systems reduces effectivity of protective functions. But a lot of domestic scientists such as P.Gerasymenko, O. Bodrov, O. Pylypenko, V. Yukhnovskii, O. Polishchuk, O. Sytnyk, O. Sovakov etc. have accumulated knowledges about positive influence of windbreaks for farming: ranging of effective influence, snow retention, reducing of evaporation and soil temperature and so on.

The optimal windbreaks cover for territory of Ukraine is about 3%, ranging from 1,5 to 11 % in different vegetation zones. The increasing of yield due to use of windbreaks protection could be for cereals about 16 %, sugar beet 20 %, sunflower 18 %, corn 28 %. Loosing 3 % of arable area for creation of windbreaks it is possible to get 10-20 % extra yield. Importantly, economic benefits from using windbreaks starts since 7-10 years old, including the covering the cost of creation. In the condition of having about 440 thousands ha of windbreaks nowadays, it is actually to form the right construction for them to get maximal ameliorative effect according of scientific results of several generations of scientists.

Thus, the use of agricultural land, protected by forest plantations properly, Ukrainian State may receive significant economic benefits from the production of environmentally-friendly products that are competitive on the world market under organic farming and sustainable use of nature respectively.