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Rehabilitation of degraded sodic lands during a decade of Dalbergia sissoo plantation in Sultanpur District of Uttar Pradesh, India
Author(s) -
Mishra A.,
Sharma S. D.,
Khan G. H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.511
Subject(s) - dalbergia sissoo , uttar pradesh , environmental science , bulk density , cation exchange capacity , sowing , sodic soil , agronomy , nutrient , soil water , agroforestry , soil science , biology , ecology , socioeconomics , sociology
The ameliorative effect of Dalbergia sissoo , planted on sodic land at Sultanpur (26° 10′–26° 40′N, 81° 45′–82° 30′E), India, in a tropical environment, was studied at 3, 6 and 9 years of age. The soil properties of the sites improved significantly, showing marked reduction in pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and an increase in organic carbon, nitrogen and availability of nutrients in the soil. The significant reduction in Na ion was found in all the age groups. Results showed an improvement in the soil moisture regime due to increased infiltration rate (cm hr −1 ), soil permeability (cm 2 ), water‐holding capacity, field capacity and pore space whereas, the bulk density decreased significantly after successive years of planting. The effect on soil attributes was confined to surface soil in the young plantation and deeper in older plantation. Therefore, the study clearly indicated that the sodic soil could be desodified by growing D. sissoo plantations on these degraded sites. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.