Microbial Diversity in Selected Agroforestry Systems of Central Rajasthan

Abstract

Agroforestry is a sustainable land use system in which crops, trees and livestock are maintained together on the same land to increase total yield and income. Agroforestry can alter the microclimate of soil under tree canopy. It plays an important role in enhancement of farm productivity, climate change mitigation, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, phytoremediation, water conservation, improvement in quality of soil by addition of plant and animal waste. Diversification in plant species enhances microbial activity in soil, provides habitat to beneficial insects, modification in micro climate, nitrogen fixation etc. This agroecological approach breaks the monoculture structure and enhances complex interaction among various species of microflora, fauna, crops and tree species. This approach enhances natural regulation of harmful organisms, biomass production and nutrient cycling resulting in ecological sustainability. This study was undertaken to assess microbial diversity in different types of soil systems in Central Rajasthan. The different land use systems were agroforestry, Agrosilvopastoral, monoculture and barren land. Samples were taken from 0-15 cm depth and assessment of microbial diversity was carried out by characterization method by using Biomerieux VITEK 2 Compact System. Various strains of gram positive and gram negative bacterial species were identified. Most of the species belong to Bacilli. Result shows that microbial diversity was higher in agroforestry and agrosilvopastoral systems as compared to monoculture and barren land. This shows that agroforestry systems are more suitable for agricultural practices than monocropping system to enhance soil productivity and biodiversity.