Author(s):

Girdhari Lal Jakhar, Peeyush Sharma, Vikas Abrol, Vikas Sharma and Shubham Chadha

Abstract: Soil degradation and alleviation of soil physical constraints and the subsequent decline in crop production are the major issues to feed the increasing population. The present study was undertaken in order to identify soil physical constraints under different land use systems namely agriculture, horticulture, forest, pasture, and wasteland in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. Composite surface soil samples from different locations across the whole of the district were collected using global positioning systems (GPS). Dominant texture class of the study area was sandy loam. Soils of wasteland had had higher sand content than those of agriculture, horticulture, pasture and forest land. The bulk density (BD) was none limiting (<1.40 g cm-3) under forest and pasture. The maximum non limiting mean value of porosity, maximum water holding (MWHC), and available water retention capacity (AWRC) was recorded under pasture and forest land use and the minimum was found in wasteland soils. Multiple regression equation was used to determine the soil physical health along with the estimation of relative magnitude of their severity. Results revealed that soil compaction and available water content and clay percent are important parameters to affect the soil organic carbon and want special attention to improve soil health and better utilization of water and nutrients. From the view point of aggradations of soil physical health, the forest land use system was most superior followed by pasture, horticulture, agriculture and least in the soil of wasteland system.

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