Effect of Agroforestry Systems on Soil Quality –Monitoring and Assessment

Abstract

Arable farming is the dominant form of agriculture in India. It is only recently that alternate land use systems comprising of pastures & perennials are receiving attention vigorously especially in rainfed areas. Soils of semiarid tropical regions of the world are nearly exhausted of soil organic matter and fertility. This is primarily attributed to fast oxidation of organic matter, washing away of nutrient rich top soil with runoff water, poor recycling back of crop residues, continuous and intensive cultivation of crops without replenishment of nutrients through chemical fertilizers. Climatic aberrations and frequent droughts result in failure of annual crops. In rainfed lands, where the possibility of raising more than one crop per year is remote, land use systems with more than one component have a distinct advantage. This led to the adoption of diversified land use systems such as agro-forestry, agrihorticulture, agri–silviculture, silvi-pastoral, pastoral, etc., apart from agriculture, by the farming community, since these systems provide stability and sustainability to the farming systems in the semi-arid tropics, specially when there are frequent droughts. These diversified land use systems not only help the farming community in providing assured income in the events of drought, but also protect the land from degradation and enhance the soil quality. Further, the allocation of the scarce land resource based on its capability class, to alternate land uses not only checks its degradation but also increases its productivity in terms of food, fuel, fodder, and fruit (Das et al., 1993)