Replicated data for: Reduced fertilization in agroforestry maintains ecosystem multifunctionality and economic returns

Agroforestry as a sustainable agricultural intensification strategy is expected to ensure optimal resource use, and uncompromised provision of ecosystem services and economic returns when compared to treeless open croplands. Here, we evaluated the effects of fertilization rates and land use management on ecosystem functions, based on 37 ecological indicators, measured over a 5-year period (2019–2023). Reduced fertilization did not significantly affect overall ecosystem multifunctionality or any ecosystem function in either agroforestry or open cropland, although some ecological indicators differed. This lack of reduced fertilization effect indicates a legacy effect of chronic over-fertilization in this agroecosystem. Compared to open cropland, agroforestry enhanced carbon sequestration but decreased water filtration due to spatially unadjusted fertilization rates in tree-crop competition zones. Economic performance among fertilization and land use managements was comparable. We conclude that adopting agroforestry and reducing current fertilization levels by 50% are feasible without compromising food production, ecological and economic benefits.