Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Raja Balwant Singh College, Bichpuri, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, 283105.
* Present address: Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, 248195.
Studies were conducted in pots for 80 weeks during 1984 and 1985 to evaluate the effect of limestone minespoil and normal soil mix on the performance of five tree species. viz. Eucalyptus hybrid (safeda), Grewia optiva (bhimal), Bombax ceiba (semla), Bauhinia retusa (kachnar) and Leucaena leucocephala (subabul) with respect to their growth parameters. biomass yield and chemical composition of root, twigs (stem + branches) and leaves. Better tree ifeights were observed in normal soil except L.leucocephala in which normal soil plus debris performed well. Tree heights correlated well with basal diameter except G. optiva at 6. 12 and 18 months interval. N concentration was higher in leaves in all the tree species in comparison to twigs and roots. Total root length, root biomass and soil binding was recorded higher in normal soil followed by normal soil plus debris. 5–15 and 15 cm depth layers in pots possessed higher root biomass (69%) than surface (0-5cm) which varied from 16.7 to 31 per cent.
Normal soil mix, mine spoil/debris, tree species, growth parameters
