AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS AS ECOLOGICAL BUFFERS AGAINST PEST OUTBREAKS IN ORGANIC FARMING: A REVIEW

Abstract

The intensification of agricultural landscapes has precipitated unprecedented challenges in pest management, particularly within organic farming systems where synthetic pesticide inputs are prohibited. Agroforestry systems integrated land-use practices incorporating trees with crops and/or livestock have emerged as promising ecological infrastructures for buffering pest outbreaks through multifaceted mechanisms. This review synthesizes contemporary evidence examining how agroforestry systems function as ecological buffers against pest outbreaks in organic farming contexts. The study analyze the mechanistic pathways through which agroforestry mediates pest pressure, including top-down regulation via natural enemy conservation, bottom-up effects through microclimate moderation and resource dilution, and the enhancement of functional biodiversity. While substantial evidence supports the pest suppressive capacity of agroforestry in perennial cropping systems, significant challenges constrain implementation, including tree-crop competition for resources, knowledge gaps among practitioners, economic barriers, and contextual variability in pest responses. This review proposes solutions addressing these challenges through strategic species selection, adaptive management protocols, policy incentives, and participatory research frameworks. The study concluded that agroforestry represents a viable nature-based solution for pest resilience in organic agriculture, though its efficacy depends on context-specific design principles and systemic support structures.