Applied Agroforestry - Sustainable land use with agroforestry systems (ApAg)
The ApAg - Applied Agroforestry research project involves the establishment of demonstration areas with agroforestry systems (AFS) on agricultural land. The project comprises a total of six partner farms and the agroforestry demonstration area of the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences in Mittermarchenbach. In the long term, these areas will serve to familiarize farmers, interest groups, students and the scientific community with the topic of agroforestry. In addition, the project will record and analyze key business figures in detail in order to develop best-practice management scenarios for agricultural operations. Particular attention will be paid to the use and care of woody plants in the agroforestry systems.
The results are expected to provide scientific insights into the establishment of different plant species in various agroforestry systems, as well as their potential to produce biomass. Key figures such as establishment, maintenance and harvesting costs, which are currently not comprehensively available, will be collected and published.
Different technical methods for establishing and managing agroforestry systems will be compared, with a focus on planting, maintenance and harvesting methods. Comprehensive monitoring will be carried out on the demonstration plots throughout the project. These areas also serve to teach students methods and skills in the field of agroforestry systems and to recruit graduates as multipliers for the topic of AFS.
Poster with project content and project partners
Appendix of an agroforestry research and demonstration facility at Sporrerhof Dötsch in December 2025
As part of the project, an agroforestry system was planted at Sporrerhof, owned by the Dötsch family in Auerbach (Upper Palatinate, Bavaria) at the beginning of December 2025 as a research and demonstration site. It is a silvoarable system in alley-cropping style. Within the system, arable farming and woodland use are combined with each other in a strip-shaped alignment. Over a total area of three hectares, a diversified timber system is being created that combines ecological and operational objectives and offers additional benefits in terms of climate change. It functions as a carbon sink, acts as a buffer during extreme climatic events such as droughts and heavy rainfall and provides natural cooling for the surrounding area during periods of heat.
Agricultural area
This is located on a wind-exposed hilltop. The central aim is to create an effective windbreak to ensure the long-term use of the area for Agriculture. In addition, many elements were planned into the system to increase biodiversity and bring more species and structural diversity to the landscape. At the same time, care was taken to ensure that the agroforestry system can be integrated into the existing farm structure in a labor-intensive manner. A further focus is on the cultivation of predominantly native valuable timber tree species for future stem wood production.
Concept and planting
Three wooded strips were planted on the site. The prevailing wind runs in an east-west orientation. The eastern wooded strip is designed in such a way to break the first winds before they reach the site. It has three rows of trees. Within the rows fast-growing poplars and shrubs were combined in sections and shrubs in order to achieve an effective windbreak function in the first few years. The other two strips were planted in a single row with the following trees: mountain-ash, tree hazel, service tree, sessile oak, Norway maple, silver lime, wild cherry, shagbark hickory, sweet chestnut and small-leaved lime. Through the of valuable timber, fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, a dual use of the tree strips is possible. In addition to the production of nuts and fruits, there are prospects for further processing, into jam or schnapps, for example. To this end trials on harvest quantities with large-fruited noble varieties of wild fruits within the rows of trees.
Trial set-up
The experimental plot contains three replicates of the eight different species in a randomized arrangement. As part of the planting, different planting methods and various woody plant protection systems were tested for their practical suitability. The woody plants were given multi-part protective measures against browsing by game, sweeping damage and root browsing. Practices such as planting with a planting spade or drilling with a Pflanzfuchs were used, as well as testing a planting machine. The different planting and protection variants were recorded over time and documented in terms of material use, labor input and practicability. These investigations are part of an accompanying bachelor thesis. The scope of the maintenance work required (tree pruning, maintenance of tree strips) is recorded. In conjunction with the biomass growth of the planted species, the aim is to make predictions about the profitability of the system.
Further steps
In the spring of 2026 , the hybrid poplars will then be planted by cuttings, the spreading of wood chips as a mulch layer and the removal of clover grass in the wooded strip will take place. The latter could unfortunately not possible before planting due to weather conditions.
Funding
With participation in the Applied Agroforestry research project, the organic farm of the Dötsch family is sending out a clear signal fo climate-adapted Agriculture, sustainable wood production and more biodiversity in the fields. The project is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism.
Publications
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