Vol. 12, Special Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Divya Soman and Raju L Chavan

Abstract:
In India, a bamboo-based agroforestry system is a viable choice for sustainable land management. The experiment was conducted out in the Main Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad, during the kharif season of 2021, with the goal of determining soil chemical characteristics under a bamboo - soybean based agroforestry system. The chemical characteristics of the composite samples were determined (pH, EC, organic carbon (OC), available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium).The treatments i.e., T₁- Bambusa balcooa + Soybean, T₂- Dendrocalamus stocksii + Soybean, T₃- Dendrocalamus asper + Soybean, T₄- bambusa vulgaris + Soybean and T₅ is control. A drop in soil pH was registered under bamboo based agroforestry system compared to open farming system. The difference in soil electrical conductivity (EC) between the control and agroforestry systems was not statistically significant. Soil organic carbon (SOC), accessible nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) levels were higher in the bamboo-based agroforestry system than in the open agricultural system. As a result, long-term adoption of bamboo-based agroforestry systems aids in improving soil chemical characteristics as well as nutrient status.