Impact of different in-situ Moisture Conservation on Tree Fodder Yield in Degraded Wastelands of Silvipastoral System

Abstract

Land degradation caused by soil erosion can reduce soil-water retention and fodder productivity in silvipastoral systems. This study evaluated six in-situ moisture-conservation treatments in a 23-year-old Gliricidia sepium-based silvipastoral system established on degraded wasteland at Kattupakkam, Tamil Nadu, during the kharif and rabi seasons of 2024. The treatments were Cenchrus ciliaris leaf mulch (T1), Stylosanthus sp. leaf mulch (T2), residues of leftover Bajra Napier grass with goat manure (T3), Bajra Napier hybrid crop residue (T4), G. sepium leaf mulch (T5), and an unmulched control (T6). The experiment followed a randomised block design with six replications, each comprising three trees. Mulch was applied at 10 kg per treatment in trenches measuring 90 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Tree growth, fodder biomass, and selected soil properties were assessed. T1 recorded the highest total biomass yield (16.35 ± 0.72 t/ha), followed by T3 (16.12 ± 0.78 t/ha); these treatments were statistically at par. The control recorded the lowest biomass yield (14.18 ± 0.55 t/ha). After mulching, T3 recorded the highest soil nitrogen (363.00 ± 6.02 kg/ha) and potassium (175.20 ± 1.29 kg/ha), whereas T5 recorded the highest phosphorus (56.63 ± 0.28 kg/ha). Bulk density declined in all mulched treatments relative to the pre-mulching value but remained unchanged in the control. Locally available grass residues and goat-manure-associated fodder residues therefore showed potential for supporting fodder production and selected soil properties under the study conditions.