Indian farmlands have a unique position with respect to their size, diverse soil conditions and crop composition. The incorporation of trees is a visionary strategy for supplementing natural agricultural practices and charting a novel path to combat climate change and safeguard biodiversity, but planting an inappropriate tree in an unsuitable location may have a contradictory impact. Through this review, we try to provide some valuable insights into the current state of knowledge gaps in research and emerging trends concerning farmland trees in India. A total number of 85 publications were selected and classified into groups. The major factor influencing the trees in the farmland sector in India is the economic benefits obtained from them. The role of intangible benefits and ecosystem services like carbon sequestration has not been widely recognised in the process of species selection. The slow growth in the number of publications on trees on farmlands still leans on topics like trees outside forests and agroforestry. Several other concepts, viz., timber production, regulating services, lack of public awareness, legal formalities, lack of institutional mechanisms etc., related to farmland trees still remain unaddressed in scientific research. Proper awareness, future-focused research and a well-structured policy-level legal framework are essential to maximise the potential benefits procured from these resources.