Design of alley cropping systems: competitive interactions and crop yields

Abstract

This work corresponds to a bibliographic analysis of the research carried out on the design of
agroforestry systems (AFS) in temperate zones. A bibliographic search with the help of ISI Web
of Science, allowed to establish a very low number of studies related to this research topic.
Such investigations were carried out in experimental stations and showed how, in different
types of design, interspecific competition between trees and intercrops affected some of the
ecosystemic functions of AFS. Finally, a proposal was made for possible changes in the type
of research (i.e. articulation with agroforestry plots) and for some key points in the design of
AFS with the intention of an evolution of the competitive interactions towards complementary
interactions.