Soil physical properties under different land use systems in eastern districts of Haryana

The present investigation aimed to compare the physical properties of soils with different textures under four land use systems (agriculture, horticulture, agro-forestry, and forestry) across various locations. A total of 180 soil samples were analyzed for bulk density, aggregate size distribution, and moisture retention characteristics. Results revealed that the highest bulk density (BD) was observed in soils under agriculture (1.41 Mg m^-3), while the lowest (1.34 Mg m^-3) was in forest soils. Similarly, forest soils exhibited increased moisture retention at field capacity (FC) and available water content (AWC) compared to other land use systems. The highest moisture content in clay loam soils at FC and AWC was observed to be 32.63% and 23.8%, respectively. Overall, water stable aggregates (WSA) (>0.25 mm) in forest soils were higher (43.19%) compared to agricultural soils (40.83%), with the highest mean weight diameter (MWD) of 0.96 mm in forest soils, which increased with finer texture.