Evaluation of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk) based agri-horti systems under various tree root management practices on reclaimed Yamuna ravines

Agroforestry, a traditional practice in semi arid tropics of India, to meet out domestic needs of fuel, fiber, fodder etc; usually suppresses crop yields due to competitive tree-crop interactions mainly through tree shade and root congestion. Five tree root management options [T₁: Tree planted in bottomless used bitumen drums of 90 cm height and 25 cm radius; T₂: Tree planted in polythene (120 micron thick) lined pits; T₃: Trenches (30 cm wide and 40 cm deep) in two sides of trees; T₄: Trees without root management and T₅: Crop without Ber trees] were evaluated in Ber + pearl millet-wheat sequence in semi arid Indo-Gangetic alluvium soils of Yamuna ravines (1998 to 2001). Trees planted in bottomless bitumen drums produced significantly higher fruit yield of Ber (7347 kg ha^-1), tree volume (35.1 m³) and fire wood (21.8 q ha^-1). All tree root management options improved crop yield over T₄ [wheat (3488 kg ha^-1) and pearl millet ((1833 kg ha^-1)] which was equivalent to 13.76, 7.48 and 7.28% in wheat and 17.89, 10.64 and 7.86 % in pearl millet under T₁, T₂ and T₃, respectively. However, tree root management options (except T₁) decreased Ber fruit yield than T₄ (6827 kg ha^-1). Among tree root management options, T₁ produced significantly higher grain yield of pearl millet (2161 kg ha^-1) and wheat (3968 kg ha^-1) and also produced minimum reduction in pearl millet (5.30%) and wheat (6.48%) grain yields than sole cropping.