Moisture extraction and crop yield as a function of distance from a row ofEucalyptus tereticornis

摘要

A study was made on the effect of an east-west tree line of$$3tfrac{1}{2}$$years oldEucalyptus tereticornison soil physical parameters and adjoining mustard and wheat crops as a function of distance from the tree-crop interface in north- and south-facing sides. Maximum soil temperature, pan evaporation, moisture extraction, number of plants/m2, and yields of mustard and wheat did not differ significantly on the two sides of plantation. Plant growth parameters decreased linearly with distance from the plantation. Mustard yield,Y(kg/ha) was linearly related to moisture extraction, ME (mm) asY= 1914–120.3 ME.Eucalyptus tereticorniswas found to extract 5 times more water than mustard from 0–150cm soil profile. Mustard and wheat yield reductions in adjoining 10 meter strips on both sides of the plantation were 47 and 34 per cent, respectively.Eucalyptus tereticornisis, therefore, not a suitable species for row plantations in agro-forestry systems in deep water table conditions of semi-arid regi