Studies on physico-chemical and biological properties, carbon pools and carbon stock under selected multipurpose tree species in Mollisol of Tarai region of Uttarakhand
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Date
2020-12
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
A field study was carried out during 2019-2020 at Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, to study the physico-chemical and biological properties of soils, carbon pools and carbon stock under selected multipurpose tree species in Mollisol of Tarai region of Uttarakhand. The experiment comprised of ten agroforestry tree species viz., Tejpatta(Cinnamomum tamala), Arjun(Terminalia arjuna), Bael(Aegle marmelo), Sindhuri(Bixa orellana), Bakain(Melia azedarach), Baheda(Teminalia belliricica), Kadamb(Neolamarckia cadamba), Rudraksh Elaeocarpus ganitrus), Pakad(Ficus virens), Harad(Terminalia chebula) along with a control in randomize block design(RBD) with three replications. Soil samples were collected in the month of September - October at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth. All soil properties were significantly affected by the tree plantations bulk density was lower under agroforestry system as compared to control. There was slight decrease in the pH of soil under tree covers, whereas no appreciable change in EC was observed. Compared with control (no tree land), all the soil properties found to be improved under different tree covers at both the depths. Different agroforestry tree species stored, 169.25 to 196.13, 11.72 to 22.48 and 157.52 to 173.19 kg ha-1 higher available N, P and K, respectively, over the control at soil surface layer where maximum accumulation was found with Tejpatta for available N and Kadamb for available P and Baheda for K. Very labile carbon fraction was observed to be higher than labile and less labile and non labile carbon fraction, respectively. Under MTP based agroforesty soil microbial biomass carbon, soil organic carbon content, SOC stock, which were 286.59 to 255.06 μg g-1 of soil, 0.81 to 0.92%, 15.46 to 17.10 Mg C ha-1, respectively, higher than other treatments. Significant and positive correlation was observed between organic carbon and biological properties. All the correlations between the soil organic carbon and carbon fraction were significant and positive except non labile fraction which had significant and negative value of correlation coefficient. Therefore, it is evident from the present study that multipurpose tree species based agroforestry is a suitable system for improvement of soil in terms of carbon sequestration, microbial biomass and enzymes as well as availability of the nutrients for overall improvement of soil health thus this system is recommended for bioremediation of the waste and degraded lands in different agroclimatic regions.