Influence of bamboo - soybean agroforestry system on soil chemical characteristics in northern transitional zone of Karnataka

Abstract

A prospective avenue for sustainable land management in India involves the utilization of a bamboo-centered agroforestry system. A scientific research was conducted during the kharif season of 2022 at the Main Agricultural Research Station in Dharwad to investigate the soil chemical characteristics within an agroforestry framework centered around bamboo and soybean. The composite samples were analyzed for several chemical attributes including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. The experiment featured five distinct treatments denoted as T1 (Bambusa balcooa + Soybean), T2 (Dendrocalamus stocksii + Soybean), T3 (Dendrocalamus asper + Soybean), T4 (Bambusa vulgaris + Soybean), and T5 (Sole soybean). Notably, the soil pH exhibited a decline under the bamboo-based agroforestry system when compared to the exclusive soybean cultivation. However, there was no statistically significant variance observed in soil electrical conductivity (EC) between the control and the agroforestry systems. Moreover, the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were notably higher in the bamboo-centric agroforestry system compared to the sole soybean cropping. Consequently, the sustained adoption of a bamboo-focused agroforestry system has the potential to enhance soil chemical attributes and enrich nutrient status over the long term.