SOIL COMPACTION IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS CAN AFFECT THE EARLY STAGE GROWTH OF FARM TREES LIKE VACHELLIA NILOTICA (L.) P.J.H. HURTER & MABB

Abstract

Use of heavy machinery in agroforestry systems for intensive cropping is resulting in soil and subsoil compaction. The soil compaction is a process that results in the reduction of pore spaces between soil particles and increase in the soil bulk density. Soil compaction owing to mechanization is a serious problem in agriculture and forestry that is widely reported worldwide, however, its impacts on early stage growth of farm friendly tree seedlings have not been reported yet. So, the objective of this study was to evaluate the growth response of Vachellia nilotica against various levels of induced soil compaction. Five compaction levels were developed (T0 T1 T2 T3 T4) artificially. The major eco-physiological parameters like collar diameter, shoot length, root length, root fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, biomass, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, moisture contents availability, and root shoot ratio were analyzed for this study. The diameter of Vachellia nilotica was recorded the maximum (0.183 mm) in controlled having bulk density 1.50 Mg m-3 and minimum diameter was (0.064 mm) at bulk density 1.76 Mg m-3 . The shoot length was recorded the maximum (35 cm) without compaction having bulk density 1.50 Mg m-3 and the minimum (16.33 cm) at 1.76 Mg m-3 . Similarly, root length was recorded the minimum (8 cm) at 1.76 Mg m-3 . From the results it was concluded that the soil compaction negatively affected the growth of Vachellia nilotica. The results showed that soil compaction can affect all the eco-physiological parameters of trees at early stage of growth. Keywords: Agroforestry, Mechanization, Soil Degradation, Soil Structure, Plant Growth

Keywords: Agroforestry, Mechanization, Soil Degradation, Soil Structure, Plant Growth