Bio-amelioration of alkali soils through agroforestry systems in central Indo-Gangetic plains of India

Abstract

A long-term field study was initiated during 1995 at Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Lucknow (26°47′58″ N and 80°46′24″ E) to analyze the effect of agroforestry systems on amelioration of alkali soils. Three agroforestry systems (pastoral, silvipastoral and silvicultural) were compared with the control where no agroforestry system was introduced. Tree-based silvicultural and silvipastoral systems were characterized by tree species Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica along with grass species Leptochloa fusca, Panicum maximum, Trifolium alexandrium and Chloris gayana. Growth of ten-year-old Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica planted in combination with grasses was significantly higher over the silviculture system with the same species. Tree biomass yields of P. juliflora (77.20 t·ha−1) and A. nilotica (63.20 t·ha−1) planted under silvipastoral system were significantly higher than the sole plantation of (64.50 t·ha−1 and 52.75 t·ha−1). Fodder yield under the pastoral system was significantly higher than the silvipastoral system during initial years but it was at par with that of silvipastoral systems after eight years of plantation. The microbial biomass carbon in the soils of silvipastoral systems was significantly higher than in soils under sole plantation of trees and control systems. The Prosopis-based silvipastoral system proved more effective in reducing soil pH, displacing Na+ from the exchange complex, increasing organic carbon and available N, P and K. Improvement in soil physical properties such as bulk density, porosity, soil moisture and infiltration rate was higher in the Prosopis-based silvipastoral system than in the silviculture system or control. On the basis of biomass production and improvement in soil health due to tree + grass systems, silvipastoral agroforestry system could be adopted for sustainable reclamation of highly alkali soils.