Not AvailableLarge areas in arid and semi-arid regions
remain barren due to lack of irrigation. The underground
aquifers in these regions are either saline or
sodic. Groundwater surveys indicate that poor-quality
water is used to irrigate arable crops in 25–84 %of the
total groundwater development areas in north-western
states of India. The present long-term study assessed
the performance of low-water-requiring, salt-tolerant
fruit-based (Carissa carandas, Emblica officinalis,
Aegle marmelos) agroforestry systems with saline
irrigation under sem-iarid conditions. The companion
crops such as Hordeum vulgare for malt, Brassica
juncea, a seed oil (winter), and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
for gum and Pennisetum typhoides, a coarse
grain/fodder (summer), were grown in inter-row
spaces. The fruit trees were successfully established
in the sill of furrows using low (EC 4–5 dS m-1)
salinity water. Subsequently, all the systems were
irrigated with water of low and high (8.5–10.0 dS m-1) salinity and their alternate use as
per treatments. Fruit yields under alternate and high
saline irrigation reduced by 18–27.5 % in Carissa,
41.6 % in Emblica and 31.7–54.8 % in Aegle, respectively.
There was no significant reduction in grain
yields of Pennisetum and Hordeum. However, in
subsequent years, the seed yields of Cyamopsis and
Brassica reduced with saline water and more so when
intercropped with Aegle. Carissa with Pennisetum and
Hordeum performed best with saline water. The study
shows that saline water (ECiw up to 10 dS m-1) could
be used sustainably for these fruit-based agroforestry
systems without significant salinity build-up in sandy
loam calcareous soils. Thus, such fruit-based agroforestry
systems could be a viable option for the areas
with only saline groundwater available for irrigation.Not Availabl