MULTI-STOREY SILVIPASTORAL APPROACH FOR SUSTAINING SOIL FERTILITY IN DEGRADED RANGE LANDS OF BUNDELKHAND

摘要

A 3-tier silvipasture system having Leucaena leucocephala as top canopy, Dichrostachys cinerea as middle canopy and Cenchrus ciliaris + Stylosanthes hamata as lower canopy was evaluated against a bare land for its capacity to conserve runoff, soil andnutrients and to sustain the soil fertility. The 5 years average runoff and soil loss was reduced by about 6 and 11 times under silvipasture. Similar ly, the 4 years mean loss of total soluble salts, dissolved nitrogen and potassium was reduced by about3, 3 and 2 times, respectively under the multi- canopy system as compared to bare land. Under silvipasture, the status of organic carbon and available nitrogen and phosphorus was improved while that of potassium was maintained to its initial level. Contrary to this, a depletion in all these parameters was recorded in bare land.