Influence of Fruit Based Agroforestry Systems on Soil Properties for Sustainable Soil Health in Hill Zone of West Bengal, India

A field experiment on fruit based agroforestry systems comprising of one silvi (Alnus nepalensis), two fruit trees, (Citrus reticulata Blanco. and Pyrus communis) and ten intercrops viz maize, rice, french bean, pea, and pumpkin during kharif and potato, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard and onion during rabi season of two consecutive years (2013-2015) was conducted at Dalapchand Science Farm, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kalimpong, West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The fruit plant grafts were planted at spacing of 10 m x 10 m. The silvi saplings were planted in between the two fruit plants and boundary at spacing of 2.5 m during kharif 2011. The intercrops were grown in the interspaces between the two fruit trees during two consecutive years. Depth wise (0-15 cm, 15-30 cm and 30-60 cm) soil samples were collected from the field twice, once at initial (before intercropping) and next at final (at the end of two years of intercropping) by using screw auger. Results revealed that higher improvement in soil physico-chemical properties at 0-15 cm,15-30 cm and 30-60 cm soil depth recorded viz. bulk density (1.26, 1.34, 1.37 gm-cm3), water holding capacity (39.44, 35.78, 33.29%), soil pH (5.90, 6.23, 6.34), organic carbon (2.04, 1.07, 0.81%), available N (517, 416, 319 kg ha-1), P (14.38,12.18, 9.52 kg ha-1), and K (535, 349, 289 status kg ha-1) respectively were found under Alnus nepalensis + Citrus reticulata + pea + mustard plot at the end of two years of study. However, among the different treatment combination, integrating silvi (Alnus nepalensis) and fruit trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco. and Pyrus communis) with intercrops (kharif + rabi) showed significant improvement in soil physico-chemical properties than silvi and fruit trees alone or sole crops plots.