Basin enrichment of bael plants through alley cropping of biomass producing plants: Effects on plant growth and soil properties

Abstract

A trial was conducted during 2014–15 to 2017–18 to develop a bael (Aegle marmelos Correa) based production system for the eastern plateau and hill region of India with the approach of enriching the plant basin through mulching or soil incorporation of biomass obtained from different biomass yielding plants viz. Tephrosia (Tephrosia candida), Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), rice bean (Vigna sesquipedalis), vegetable soybean (Glycine max) and weeds growing in the alley area. The experiment consisted of 11 treatments laid out in Randomized Block Design. The maximum dry biomass yield (5.70 to 12.80 t ha-1) and recycling of nutrients (cumulative of 4 years) into the basin of bael plants (1031.94, 56.16 and 372.06 kg ha-1 N, P and K, respectively), as well as plant vigour of bael were recorded with Tephrosia treatments. All the treatments except mulching of vegetable soybean resulted in a significant increase in soil organic carbon in the plant basin. Significantly higher content of soil N, P and K in various treatments were documented in the soil over that of control. Mulching of Tephrosia also resulted in markedly higher soil moisture content during drier months of the year. However, the study also indicated need for supplementation of phosphorus from other sources for fulfilling of phosphorus requirement of bearing bael plants under the present planting model.