Raised and sunken bed technique for agroforestry on alkali soils of northwest India

Abstract Many forest tree and fruit species can be raised on highly alkali soil (pH > 10) but some of them such as pomegranate ( Punica granatum ) are unable to tolerate water stagnation. To avoid water stagnation problems during the monsoon the raised and sunken bed technique has been found suitable for agroforestry practices on highly alkali soil. One fruit‐yielding pomegranate and one oil‐yielding salvadora ( Salvadora persica ) plantation species were successfully grown on raised bunds to avoid water stagnation and rice–wheat and berseem–kallar grass rotation were grown on sunken‐beds constructed for the purpose. The experiment was initiated in 1996 and the above two crop rotations were followed for two consecutive years starting in the summer season. Results of these experiments have also shown that good growth of plantations, on an average 4·3 to 4·9 t ha −1 rice (salt tolerant var. CSR‐10) and 1·2 to 1·4 t ha −1 wheat (KRL 1–4), were obtained in sunken beds. In another rotation 21·3 to 36.8 t ha −1 fresh forage of kallar grass ( Leptochloa fusca ) and 44·9 to 47·8 t ha −1 fresh forage of berseem ( Trifolium alexandrium ) were obtained. After two years of the experiment, soil amelioration in terms of reduction in soil pH was significant. The effect of plantation in reducing soil pH showed that the pomegranate and salvadora both helped in reduction of soil pH, but the latter due to its well‐developed lateral root system was more efficient in lowering the soil pH even at lower depths. The reduction in soil pH by the berseem–kallar grass rotation was better than under rice–wheat rotation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.