Engineering Agroforestry Systems, Convergence of Fruit Trees

with Arable Crops under Temperate Conditions of Southern Romania

Damian Dragomir, Maria-Marinela Dragnea, Alexandra Maria Bardoș Marțiș

Research and Development Station for Fruit Tree Growing Băneasa

Keywords: agroforestry, fruit trees, arable crops, sustainable agricultural technologies.

Abstract: Agroforestry represents a sustainable land management strategy integrating woody perennials with annual crops to enhance productivity, biodiversity, and ecological resilience. This study explores the engineering design and functional assessment of fruit tree-arable crop agroforestry systems under the temperate conditions of Southern Romania, focusing on the experimental framework developed at the Research and Development Station for Fruit Tree Growing (SCDP) Băneasa, within the Experimental Base of Moara Domnească. The initiative aims to establish a new research direction in horticultural agroforestry adapted to local pedoclimatic conditions. The convergence between fruit trees and arable crops generates mutual benefits: tree canopies moderate temperature extremes, reduce evapotranspiration, and improve soil moisture retention for annual crops, while herbaceous layers contribute to nitrogen fixation, soil aeration, and erosion control, improving the physiological and nutritional status of the fruit trees. Precision technologies (remote sensing, microclimatic and soil sensors) are integrated to evaluate energy, water, and nutrient fluxes and to identify optimal spatial configurations. The expected results will demonstrate how genetic diversity within fruit tree species and compatible arable crops can be harnessed to create multifunctional, climate-resilient systems. This approach lays the foundation for a biodiversity-based innovation model at SCDP Băneasa, supporting sustainable agricultural technologies in temperate agroecosystems.