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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Soil fertility status and variation across different land use systems of the Bada micro-watershed (4D4F2j05) in Karnataka state

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14213
Submitted
23 February 2026
Published
30-08-2026

Abstract

Land use systems play a crucial role in regulating soil fertility, nutrient availability and overall soil quality by influencing organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling. This study evaluated the impact of various existing land use systems on soil chemical properties and nutrient status at the micro-watershed level in the northern transition zone of Karnataka state. Four prevailing land use systems namely forest, barren land, agriculture and horticulture were selected in the Bada micro-watershed through participatory techniques and soil samples were collected using the grid sampling method at 320 m intervals. A total of 50 soil samples (forest-5, barren land-5, agriculture-20 and horticulture-20) were collected and analysed in the laboratory to assess variations in soil fertility. The findings revealed considerable variations in soil fertility among the evaluated land use systems. Forest soils exhibited the highest mean soil organic carbon content (8.16 g kg-1), followed by horticultural (5.07 g kg-1), agricultural (3.96 g kg-1) and barren land (1.92 g kg-1) soils. This gradient reflects the combined influence of vegetation cover, organic matter inputs, human interventions and crop management intensity. The findings of this study indicate that the forest land use system exhibited a higher soil fertility status compared with other land use systems, with greater mean values of macronutrients such as nitrogen (N) (323.40 kg ha-1), phosphorus (P) (56.88 kg ha-1), potassium (K) (328.74 kg ha-1) and sulphur (S) (43.84 kg ha-1), as well as micronutrients including iron (Fe) (12.61 mg kg-1), manganese (Mn) (11.01 mg kg-1), copper (Cu) (1.97 mg kg-1) and zinc (Zn) (0.68 mg kg-1). In contrast, continuous cultivation without sustainable land management practices contributed to the depletion of these essential soil nutrients in cultivated land use systems. These results highlight that the conversion of degraded and agricultural lands into agroforestry, agri-horticultural and horticultural land uses reduce soil disturbance, representing a potentially effective approach for enhancing soil quality.

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