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Comparative Analysis of Some Selected Macronutrients of Soil in Orange Orchard and Degraded Forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Mohammad Shaheed Hossain Chowdhury*
Department of Forestry, School of Agriculture and Mineral Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh

Shampa Biswas
Department of Mountain Forestry, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences-BOKU, Vienna, Austria

Md. Abdul Halim
Department of Forestry, School of Agriculture and Mineral Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh

S. M. Sirajul Haque
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Nur Muhammed
Forest Policy Laboratory, Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamiminowa-Mura, Nagano-Ken 399- 4598, Japan

Masao Koike
Forest Policy Laboratory, Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, 8304 Minamiminowa-Mura, Nagano-Ken 399- 4598, Japan

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Status of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in three different depths (0−5 cm, 5−15 cm and 15−30 cm) on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth-wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g-1 soil and 3.025-mg·g-1soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g-1 soil and 1.6083-mg·g-1 soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.

Keywords: Orange orchard; Degraded forests; Soil depth; Slope; Bangladesh

Location: Thanchi Upazila (subdistrict) of Bandarban district at CHTs

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Comparative study

Commodity: Orange, Forest

Objectives:

No study was conducted earlier to explore the chemical properties of soil by considering that the rationale of the converting the degraded hills into horticultural orchards would have been possible scientifically in a planned manner. It is hypothesized that such cultivation exerts an impact on the soil environment of the respective microclimatic region. Taking this hypothesis into consideration, chemical analysis of soil in both the orange orchard and degraded hill was carried out to evaluate the status of some selected nutrients there.

Methodology:

Selection of soil sampling sites Two paired sites, one on 55% slope and the other on 35% slope, were selected in orange growing area at Thanchi upazilla (subdistrict) of Bandarban district at CHTs. In each pair, one part represented orange orchard and the other degraded bushy hill, being adjacently located on similar slope to avoid initial variation in soil properties between the two, due to topographic differences. Soils were sampled from each of the four sites during dry season from the last week of March to first week of April 2005. Soil samples were collected from three profiles in each part at a depth of 0−5 cm (surface soil), 5−15 cm and 15−30 cm. The slope of the sampling sites was determined with the help of Abney’s Level.

Soil sample preparation In the laboratory, collected moist soil samples were first sieved through 10-mm mesh sieve to remove gravel, small stones and coarse roots and then passed through 2-mm mesh sieve. Then the sieved samples were dried in an oven at 105 ºC for eight hours.

Chemical analysis Soil samples were analyzed chemically to determine organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) by conventional methods of soil chemical analysis. The data were then analyzed statistically and arranged systematically.

Source of Information: Journal of Forestry Research, 18(1): 27–30 (2007)

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.1007/s11676-007-0005-0

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The property of soil regarding the content of five nutrients viz., organic C, total N, available K, Ca and P in the degraded hill forests of the CHTs was increased after converting them into horticulture with the cultivation of orange. The Mro tribe grows there orange as secondary occupation though their primary occupation is fully centered on shifting cultivation. In the present study, the impact of orange cultivation on limited chemical characteristics of existing hill forest soils was explored. Further study needs to carry out on the impact of orange cultivation on another chemical, physical and biological properties of the soil of that area. It would be helpful for policymakers to decide whether to cultivate orange and/or other fruits in the degraded hills of CHTs to uplift the socio-economic conditions and living standard of the hill dwellers, particularly the Mro, the most undeveloped tribe of Bangladesh on the one hand and to improve the soil condition of the exhausted forests on the other hand.

Knowledge Management: Journal