Soil Rehabilitation through Afforestation: Evaluation of the Performance of Prosopis juliflora , Dalbergia sissoo and Eucalyptus tereticornis Plantations in a Sodic Environment

A field study was initiated in 9-year-old rehabilitation plots, in the Sultanpur district (26° 10'-26° 40'N, 81° 45'-82° 30'E) of Uttar Pradesh, India, to evaluate the efficiency of Prosopis juliflora, Dalbergia sissoo, and Eucalyptus tereticornis to improve the chemical properties of sodic soil. It was found that the soil reaction and exchangeable Na + percentage had declined and the amount of organic C, Kjeldahl N, NaHCO 3 extractable P, and NaOAc K + had increased in all the three plantations under study. P. juliflora proved more efficient in reducing soil pH, displacing Na + from exchange complex and raising the organic carbon and nutrient status in comparison to D. sissoo and E. tereticornis.