A combination of silvicultural species [Prosopis cineraria (L.), Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. and Colophospermum mopane (J. Kirk ex Benth.)] were planted with horticultural species [Ziziphus mauritiana (L.), Cordia myxa (Forster), and Emblica officinalis (Gaertn)] and intercropped with wheat (Triticum aestivum). Z. mauritiana +P. cineraria combination produced greater fruit, fodder and fuel wood and was less competitive to wheat crop. Crop yield reduced by 5% to 23% in the agroforestry systems than the yield in sole crop plot. Lowest yield was in C. mopane + C. myxa combination. Fodder yield was 0.53, 0.20 and 0.07 t ha-1 from C. mopane (cursive), P. cineraria and A. excelsa, respectively, whereas utilizable biomass was 2.63 t ha-1 from C. myxa (cursive) + P. cineraria, 2.21 t ha-1 from C. myxa (cursive) + C. mopane and 2.18 t ha-1 from Z. mauritiana + P. cineraria combinations. Soil organic carbon and NH4-N increased (by 7% and 8%, respectively), whereas NO3-N and PO4-P decreased in agroforestry compared to the sole tree plots. Primary root attributes of P. cineraria, A. excelsa and C. mopane were higher in agroforestry and mostly concentrated in the top 0-25 cm of the soil layer. Z. mauritiana + P. cineraria were the best combination with minimum yield reduction and were found to be beneficial in enhancing soil fertility. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.
