ABSTRACT
Rural folk in arid western Rajasthan, the principal hot arid region of the country have been practising arable cropping in association with these scattered trees on crop fields since time immemorial. As arid western Rajasthan accounts for 61% of hot arid region of the country, therefore it is considered principal hot arid region. Agroforestry systems can be useful in maintaining production during drier years, a common phenomenon in arid regions of India. In drought prone environment of arid western Rajasthan, as a risk aversion and cooping strategy, the traditional agroforestry systems avoid long term vulnerability as trees act as an insurance against drought, insect-pests outbreaks and other threats, instead of a yield-maximising strategy aiming at short term monetary benefits. The woody component in agroforestry systems helps in reducing soil erosion which is the most harmful abiotic stress in arid region. Agroforestry contributes to livelihood improvement in arid regions of India, where people have a long history of accumulated local knowledge.
