4.4 Multi-Story Structure
The real sources for agricultural production (biomass) are
sunlight and rainwater. In the natural forest, the biomass
production is always higher than that of agricultural land.
The reason is the multi-storied vegetative cover of the forest
that enables maximum use of sunlight and rainwater. The structure
of agricultural land is usually horizontal, which cannot utilize
these resources properly.
If the sunlight and the rainwater are utilized properly
in agricultural land, they can provide great benefits to the
land. If not, they become the main causes of drought and soil
erosion. Strong sunlight and rainfall are characteristic of
a tropical climate such as that in Bangladesh, so it is very
important for tropical agriculture to build up the multi-story
structure of agricultural land.
The points which ensure the multi-story structure in a farm
are as follows:
- Planting various kinds of permanent trees in the boundary
area and planting shade tolerant crops. (Section
5.5)
- Mix tree crops and annual crops in good combination.
(Section 6.5)
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