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In the south of Bolivia, a group of traditional wine growers are distinguished by the cultivation of grapevines on native trees that serve as tutors. These growers currently represent one of the few examples of agroforestry vineyards in the world. They offer an opportunity to analyze the structure and management of these cropping systems, and to identify the ecosystem services provided by the combination of grapevines that are trained on trees. We characterize 29 agroforestry vineyards located in three high valleys in southern Bolivia, describing the main farm features, the structure and management of the vineyards, and the advantages of on-tree vine staking as recorded by the farmers. Farms were small (2.2 ha on average), with about half viticulture and half other crops and forage. The workforce was about half family and half employees. The most commonly used tree species were the molle tree (Schinus molle) and chañar tree (Geoffroea decorticans), and the majority of grape varieties grown were landraces such as “Negra criolla” and “Vicchoqueña.” The main cultivation techniques were pruning of the trees and vines, application of manure more than mineral fertilizers, gravity irrigation, and application of few pesticides. The main services farmers expected from trees were protection against climate hazards and flooding, disease control, maintenance of soil fertility, and higher yields. Agroforestry is a promising option for the agroecological transition of viticulture, which deserves further studies at both plot and farm scales.

This research assessed how ecosystem services (ES) are taken into account in the decision-making process of stakeholders involved in the management of agroecosystems, in particular agroforestry systems, and how an Role-Playing Game (RPG) can serve as a tool to allow them to discuss the issues concerned. The study was conducted in two municipalities (Paragominas and Irituia) located in the Brazilian Amazon. The game was developed in 2018 using a co-construction process that mainly included farmers, students and researchers. Data was collected during two sessions of the game held in 2019, with participation by heterogeneous participants from different local institutions. Our results demonstrated that game sessions showed how the provision of ES, as well as other factors (e.g. values, availability of factors), is taken into account in planning the spatio-temporal configuration of the agroecosystem and associated agricultural practices. They also revealed some trade-offs involved in this decision-making process. We conclude that the RPG allowed stakeholders to synthesize and discuss different types of knowledge about this process. Bringing these elements to the discussion can contribute to an improved shared understanding of the challenges and possibilities of the ecological management of agroecosystems and can indicate solutions that are in line with local expectations.

Optimal use of resources in agroforestry requires the evaluation of multi-species and multi-strata cropping systems. The current study evaluated the effect of plant diversity on the performance of agroforestry systems in Talamanca, Costa Rica. Plants in nine 100-m2 plots in each of 20 fields were classified into five groups (banana, cacao, other fruits, timber, and firewood), and diversity was assessed by the Shannon–Wiener index. The production of each individual plant was estimated and converted into income according to local market prices. Our results indicated that as plant diversity increased, the income derived per plant increased for other fruits, firewood, and timber and also when all cultivated plants were considered as one group. In contrast, the income derived per plant decreased for banana and cacao as diversity increased. This suggests that complementarity between plants was stronger than competition for those plants occupying the higher strata of the canopy (i.e., other fruits, firewood, and timber) but that competition was stronger than complementarity for plants occupying the lower strata of the canopy (i.e., banana and cacao). These results increase our understanding of how the composition and the organisation of these agroforestry systems may be optimized.

A large proportion of global natural rubber production takes place in Southeast Asia. The majority of this rubber is produced by smallholders. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are the three principal countries involved. In Malaysia and Indonesia the smallholder sector accounts for 72% and 84% of total rubber production respectively. In other countries rubber plays a significant role on a more local basis. Imperata is a serious problem for the smallholder rubber farmer in most of Southeast Asia in three respects: the high cost (labour and/or capital) of opening Imperata-infested land, its competitive effect on rubber and annual intercrops, and the fire hazard that it poses during the dry season as a major source of combustible material. The costs of Imperata to smallholders are substantial in terms of a direct loss through fire and revenue foregone or delayed as a result of competition. Most smallholders intercrop their rubber during the first 1–3 years after planting it, and during this period Imperata is reasonably well controlled. Intercropping is only feasible for a limited period because of limited soil fertility and/or the shading effect of the rubber trees. After intercropping, Imperata tends to establish itself for a few years until it too is shaded out by the rubber. This is the problem period, during which farmers practise only limited weed management, if any.