In agroforestry and forestry practices, the system in which agricultural crops are grown between the rows of planted trees is known as which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
Combining tree planting with agriculture is an important land use practice in many countries. It helps in maintaining soil fertility, providing timber and fuelwood, and supporting farmers livelihoods. Several terms describe different forms of tree and crop integration. This question asks about the specific system where agricultural crops are grown between the rows of planted trees, a practice especially known from forestry operations in certain regions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key practice is growing agricultural crops between rows of planted trees.
• The options given are social forestry, jhum, taungya system, and agro forestry.
• We assume typical definitions used in Indian forestry and geography textbooks.

Concept / Approach:
Social forestry usually refers to tree planting on community, village, or wasteland to meet local needs. Jhum is shifting cultivation, where patches of forest are cleared, burned, cultivated for a few years, and then abandoned. Agroforestry is a broad term for integrated systems combining trees, crops, and sometimes animals on the same land. Taungya system is a specific method where forest departments plant tree seedlings in rows and allow farmers to grow crops in the spaces between these rows for a limited period until canopy closure. Since the question emphasises rows of planted trees with crops in between, taungya system is the most precise term in this exam context.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine social forestry. It focuses on community based tree planting but does not necessarily specify growing crops between rows of young trees as a formal system. Step 2: Examine jhum. Jhum or shifting cultivation involves clearing forest, cultivating crops for a few years, and then leaving the land fallow, not organised rows of planted trees with crops between. Step 3: Examine agroforestry. This is a general term for any system that deliberately mixes trees with crops or animals. While it can include crop rows between trees, the question in many exam syllabi points to a more specific forestry practice. Step 4: Taungya system, originally developed in Myanmar and adopted in India, involves planting forest tree species in rows and permitting farmers to cultivate crops between those rows for some years until the trees grow taller and shade the crops. Step 5: Therefore, the system described in the question best matches the taungya system.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on Indian forestry and geography often provide a separate section on the taungya system, explaining how it allows forest departments to establish plantations at low cost by involving local farmers. The typical diagram shows rows of tree seedlings with agricultural crops planted in between. Agroforestry is treated as a larger category encompassing taungya and other arrangements. When multiple choice questions phrase the system as "growing agricultural crops between rows of planted trees", answer keys usually indicate taungya system as the correct and more specific term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Social forestry: Emphasises community tree planting and fuelwood or fodder production, not necessarily crop cultivation between tree rows as a distinct system.
• Jhum: A form of shifting cultivation, not an organised integration of plantation forestry and agriculture in rows.
• Agro forestry: Too broad and general for the specific description in this question; the exam expects the more precise name taungya system.

Common Pitfalls:
A common confusion is between agroforestry and taungya system. Since agroforestry is the broader term, some learners choose it when they see a combination of trees and crops. However, the presence of planted forest tree rows with seasonal crops in between, particularly under forest department schemes, is characteristic of taungya. Remember that all taungya is a form of agroforestry, but not all agroforestry is taungya. For this standard competitive exam question, the expected answer is taungya system.

Final Answer:
The practice of growing agricultural crops between rows of planted trees is known as the taungya system.