Potentiality of okra-mango based agroforestry system for economic and climate resilience in Bangladesh’s charland

Char lands of Bangladesh are ecologically fragile zones, frequently affected by flooding, erosion, and seasonal drought, posing serious challenges to sustainable agriculture and livelihoods. Agroforestry provides a climate-resilient solution by integrating crop and tree production to enhance land productivity and stability. This study assessed the potential of an okra-mango-based agroforestry system under varying okra planting spacings and organic and inorganic fertilizer applications in the char lands of Gangachara Upazila, Rangpur District. A factorial randomized complete block design was applied, including three spacings of okra (60 × 60 cm, 60 × 45 cm, and 60 × 30 cm) and four fertilizer treatments (control no fertilizer, cow dung, poultry manure, and chemical fertilizer. Results revealed that the intermediate spacing (60 × 45 cm) combined with chemical fertilizer produced the highest okra yield (6.91 t ha−1), benefit–cost ratio (4.71), and land equivalent ratio (1.77), reflecting improved productivity and resource-use efficiency. Although sole cropping showed marginally higher yields, agroforestry systems delivered better economic and ecological outcomes, particularly in terms of biological product outputs, land utilization, and sustainability. Therefore, the okra–mango agroforestry system with intermediate okra spacing and chemical fertilizer application achieved the highest productivity, economic return, and land-use efficiency in char lands. These findings highlight the system’s potential as a climate-resilient land-use option for improving food production and livelihoods in ecologically fragile char ecosystems.