Land is a non-renewable natural resource and centre to all crop production systems. Due to increasing population, per capita land availability decreases, but increasing aspirations of the people make it important to get greater returns from land per unit of land. To achieve the maximum and sustainable return, agroforestry provides security to improve the economic status and livelihood with traditional agriculture. To study the present land use scenario in Nalanda district of Bihar, a field study was conducted through questionnaire survey among 140 families in 75 percent blocks of the district. The result showed that agriculture is the main source of income; the farmers follow conventional system of agriculture. In comparison with traditional agricultural crops viz. Wheat (Triticum aestivum) (Rs. 4022.34 /acre) and Rice (Oryza sativa) (Rs. 3750.15 /acre), Mustard (Brassica nigra) and Chick pea (Cicer arietinum), it was found that Mustard and Chickpea were more profitable to the farmers with the returns of Rs. 15976.28 / acre and Rs. 9834.12/acre, respectively. The most preferable forestry species were bamboo species, Tectona grandis (Teak), Dalbergia sissoo(Sissoo), Melia azedarach (Bakaina) and Borassus flabellifer (Wine palm) and horticultural species were Citrus species (Chakotra), Mangifera indica (Mango), Emblica officinalis (Amla) and Musa paradisiaca (Banana). Villagers prefer plantation of horticultural trees (12.65 % area) in comparison with forestry trees (6.35 % area). As per the survey, 42.14% of the respondents believe that trees reduce yield of agriculture crop. Other reasons behind less popularity of agroforestry include lack of market (33.57%), small land holding (30.71%), lack of awareness (25.71%), late returns (23.57%) and restrictions on felling and transport of trees (7.85%). In this region Mango cultivation is being done preferably by the farmers with return of Rs. 12,504.78 /acre /year. The return of the farmers may be increased with shade preferred other intercrops like mushroom cultivation. The farmers can earn additional income of about Rs. 4, 60, 650 /acre /year, if they use intercrop mushroom under the shade of mango or other horticultural / forestry crops. Hence, Mushroom cultivation under mango orchard/ other forestry spp. was proposed as a new agroforestry model for additional source income of the farmers. However, some study should be conducted to test social acceptability, ecological feasibility and economic viability of this model.

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