Assessment of physico-chemical properties of soil under different pruning intensities and integrated nutrient Management in D. sissoo based Agroforesry system

Abstract

A field investigation was carried out at the Agroforestry Research Farm, Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, Jawaharlal Nehru KrishiVishwa Vidyalaya, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The aim of this study was to find outthe impact of different pruning intensities on the physical and chemical properties of soil during two Rabi season consecutive years of 2022-23 and 2023-24. An experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications of two systems: Pruning level i.e P0(no pruning), P1(25% pruning), P2(50% pruning), P3 (75% pruning) and open system. Seven sub plot treatment 6 IMN (T1 - Green manuring with dhaincha, T2 -Green manuring +Trichoderma, T3 - Enriched vermicompost @ 2th ha-1, (VAM + Trichoderma + Azospirilium), T4 - Vermicompost without enriched@ 2t ha-1, T5 - Green manuring+ Enriched vermicompost @2t ha-1, T6 - Green manuring +Vermicompost without enriched @ 2 tha-1, and T7 - control (RDF). Soil samples were collected as per subjected to analysis for the physico-chemical properties of the soil. The results reveal that the agroforestry system positively improves the physical and chemical properties of the soil over open system. Under agroforestry system no pruning as well as in INM decreases, bulk density (1.26 g cm-3) in soil and promoted electrical conductivity (0.31 dSm-1) pH 7.23, organic carbon (0.65%), CEC (25.9 mol/cm2) and water holding capacity (38.77%) of soil. Available nutrients viz. nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil, with respective values of 276.59, 10.02, 258.1 kg ha-1, increased under no pruning in agroforestry system compared to the open system. Therefore, this study asserts that among the different level of pruning in agroforestry enhances the physico-chemical properties, and acceptance of tree-based farming system can perk up soil fertility.