Competition for water between annual crops and short rotation mallee in dry climate agroforestry: The case for crop segregation rather than integration

Rather than planting mallees in alley configurations (integration) there is a case for block planting (segregation) with longer harvest intervals for the mallees. The results suggest that biological productivity of mallee monocultures harvested on a rotation of five or more years > crop monoculture > mallee agroforestry. Ultimately the relative economic returns from cropping and mallees will determine where they are grown and the degree of integration.