Physical, Chemical and biological parameters of soil quality in four land use systems of submontane tract of Punjab (Kandi region) were studied vis-à-vis in the highly productive region in the central Punjab. Among the four land use systems, the soils in the cultivated land use system of the Kandi area were better in quality with respect to chemical and physical parameters and were more sustainable as compared to forest, undisturbed and pasture land use systems. The better level biological quality of soils under forest land use system was due to regular addition of tree leaves in the surface layer. High organic matter level in forest soils resulted in improvements in physical and chemical quality of soils as well. The low productivity and poor soil fertility in cultivated land use system in Kand area visà-vis cultivated system in Ludhiana district in central Punjab was attributed to soil erosion due to their existence on undulating topography. The productivity of the Ludhiana soils was 240 per cent more than the productivity observed under cultivated land in Kandi area. The various constraints of low productivity were attributed to poor soil fertility in Kandi region of Punjab and meager adoption of latest agricultural techniques due to poor economic status of Kandi farmers
Land use systems, Kandi/Rainfed area, Physical, Chemical and Biological Parameters
