SOIL QUALITY UNDER EUCALYPTUS: A REVIEW

S. BADESHRA¹, K.K. BHARDWAJ²*, S. DEVI³, U. KAUSHIK⁴, DEVRAJ^5
1Department of Soil Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
²Department of Soil Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
³Department of Soil Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
⁴University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560065, India
⁵Department of Soil Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana, India
* Corresponding Author : krishansoils@gmail.com

Received : 03-05-2019     Accepted : 26-05-2019     Published : 30-05-2019
Volume : 11     Issue : 10       Pages : 8454 - 8456
Int J Agr Sci 11.10 (2019):8454-8456

Keywords : Soil quality, Eucalyptus, Leaf litterfall, Organic matter
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, 125004, Haryana
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

It is well-known fact that trees influence the different soil properties. The leaf litter fall promote the permanent input to increase the organic matter content of the soil and positively influence the soil quality. Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree and it sheds its leaves though out the year which is the prime source of organic matter. Previous studies based on different properties of soils under Eucalyptus are inconsistent and contradictory. Several properties such as drying up of water courses, affecting the soil physico-chemical properties, tendency to deplete soil nutrients and fertility, suppression of other vegetation, reduction of forest biodiversity and reducing crop yield under Eucalyptus have been made. The physical, chemical and biological properties under different age Eucalyptus plantations had showed beneficial effect on the soil particularly during the later stages. The short rotation period will not allow accumulation of soil organic carbon and other soil chemical nutrients as reflected by the different results. Based on these facts it is worth to mention that if the crop planted with Eucalyptus did not receive any fertilizers, the soil nutrient status led to a reduction and also the yield of the intercrop. Therefore, supplementation of enough available nutrients is required for the intercrops in the initial stage along with Eucalyptus.

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