Bamboo‐based agroforestry system effects on soil fertility: Ginger performance in the bamboo subcanopy in the Himalayas (India)

An on‐farm bamboo intercropping study was conducted near Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. It uses a split‐plot design with two bamboo species ( Dendrocalamus asper and Dendrocalamus hamiltonii ) and an open field condition as main plots, under which ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) was grown at five nutrient levels supplied through chemical fertilizers and organic sources (subplots). In the intercropping with bamboo species, ginger yield increased by 10.5–15.6% in comparison to the open field condition. Application of farmyard manure (FYM) based on N equivalent ratio showed the best ( P ≤ .05) yield response of ginger (rhizome length, 7.65 cm; yield, 4,028 kg ha −1 ). Photoactive radiation was reduced by 60% under the bamboo canopy. Simultaneously, higher soil moisture (%) content was noticed for D. asper . Various soil physico‐chemical properties (top 0–15 cm) were significantly higher in the FYM treatment under D. asper than under D. hamiltonii or sole ginger cropping. Maximum returns (3,595.67 US$ ha −1  yr −1 ) were realized when the ginger crop was raised under the canopy of D. asper and supplied with FYM on N equivalent ratio + plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria. Overall, the results establish that ginger production in the northwest Himalayan region of India is a viable use of land resources for improved economic returns.