Soil Moisture and Nutrient Dynamics of Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) Based Agrisilvicultural Systems in North Odisha. Behera Suryakanta1,*, Mahapatra A.K.2, Mishra P. J.3, Behera B.B.3, Pattanayak S.2 1Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India 2Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India 3AICRP on Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India *email: suryakantarrr@gmail.com
Online published on 23 December, 2016. Abstract A field experiment was conducted at the Gobardhansul village of Baripada block, Mayurbhanj, duringKharif season 2014 to study the performance of bamboobased agrisilvicultural systems in north Odisha. The silvicultural component Bambusa vulgaris was grown at three different spacing's (5m x 5m, 8m x 5m and 8m x 8m) and four intercrops (cowpea, rice bean, turmeric and yam) were taken up within the interspaces in a randomized block design with 3 replications. Cowpea (var: Utkalmanika), rice bean (var: SRBS-35), turmeric (var. Surama) and yam (var: Orissa Elite) were sown on 2nd July 2014 with recommended agronomic management practices and received 963.4mm rainfall during the growing season. Soil moisture status was better maintained at different depth when bamboo was intercropped with cowpea and rice bean over turmeric and yam and maximum moisture content of 12.6% (0-15cm) and 13.4% (15–30 cm) was found in July and 14.5% (015cm) and 15.7%(15-30cm) in august and 13.1%(015cm)and 13.5%(15-30cm) in September in bamboo planted at spacing 8m x 8m with cowpea. Available soil fertility after harvest of the crops with regard to organic carbon, available N, P and K was either maintained or improved in different bamboo based agri-silvicultural systems. Organic carbon (0.47%), available nitrogen (195.5 kg/ha,), available phosphorus (23.8kg/ha) and available potassium (168.7kg/ha) were found with bamboo planted at spacing 5m x 5m with cowpea. Top Keywords Agroforestry, Bamboo, Nutrient, Soil moisture. Top |