| Abstract | The overall objective of this study is to analyze the prospets of agroforestry promotion in the hills of Nepal. study was conducted in Kumpur, Nalang, and Salang VDC areas of Dhading district, located in the central hills and inhabited by multi ethnic communities, with special refernce to an agroforestry project initiated by Nepal Agroforestry Foundation. The study was undertaken to find out the nature, extent, determinants and constraints, problems and possibilities of agroforestry promotion. Household survey of a total of 223 farm households (82 "with" and 141 "without" project) combined with RRA techniques in rural settlements at altitude ranging from 500 to 1200 meter above mean sea level were carried out. Analytical tools employed include statistical test; costs, returns, cost-benefit ratio, soil sample analysis, index construction and regression analysis. Factors determining agroforestry adoption were analyzed and soil sample analysis was done to estimate agroforestry's impact on soil fertility. Farming, practiced both in khet and bari, is the main source of livelihood of all sampled households. Bari comprised significant portion of the total land holdings. Uses of different agroforestry species under different systems to supply basic household needs and to maintain productivity have been the major concerns in subsistence production system. The average number of agroforestry species planted by project households in bari parcels is significantly higher (p<0.01) than non-project households. The significant variations were mainly associated with livestock herd size, availability of extension services and management practices. The results revealed a general tendency of species concentration, applying more manure and efficient management in parcels close to the farmhouse. Siimilarly. housholds in areas easy to access have planted significantly higher number of fooder, fuelwood (p<0.01) and fruit trees (p<0.05) in their bari parcels than households in areas difficult to access. Although project activities were concentrated in easily accessible areas, the results indicated the spill over effect of NAF project to non-project households mainly through demnstration effects. The analysis on agroforestry's impact on soil fertility and farm income revealed that agroforestry had made a positive contribution to soil fertility and was more profitable than the conventional system. Soils with project have higher aounts of OM, N, P and K than without project but the differences are not significant at 0.05 level. Agroforestry provided opportunity and potential to diversify farm earnings through multipurpose species, such as mulberry, which further enhanced the profitability. Although agroforestry has great potential to enhance food production and farmers' economic conditions, low level of knowledge on improved species, practices and management, inefficient technical support, small and fragmented land holdings, ineffective extension services, and unreliable markets were the main constraints for promotion. However, Findings revealed fodder scarcity, high yielding animal breeds and closure of community forests as major motivating factors for adoption. Decline in vegetative cover due to widespread deforestation and increased households' subsistence requirements and resultant effect on accelerating soil erosion, lowered soil fertility, land degradation and productivity decline have been the important factors for adoption. The findings show that livestock population (p<0.01), male membership in local NGO (p<0.05), Female education level and perception (p<0.10) about agroforestry significantly influenced the adoption. Building positive perceptions on agroforestry by increased awareness through better access to technical know how, extension sevices and facilities and education for women would increase adoption of agroforestry in both bari and khet. Results indicate that adoption of agroforestry to hamess hill development potential nees to be sensitive to the characteristics of technology, biophysical environment and socio-economic conditions. Management and enrichment of private farmlands, a finite and fagile resource which is vulnerable to degradation, is indispensable for sustained productivity. In this vein, detailed stratgy and policy recommendations are presented, supplemented by research requirements to further advance the promotion of agroforestry. The approach that comines socio-economic, institutional and environmental issues by strengthening linkages, coordinaton and cooperation among organizations and perople at large is recommended to enhance agroforestry promotion in the study area and the regions with similar environments. The suggested anagement strategy to promote agroforestry includes formulation of policies congenial to agroforestry development, the creation of mass awareness, provistion of training, adoption of high yielding multipurpose species, promotion of agro-enterprises, improvement and strengthening of support services and facilities. |