Management of acid soil for sustainable agriculture in hilly ecosystems of eastern Himalaya

Abstract

Soil acidity in hill ecosystems is one of the major constraints affecting crop productivity. It is developed due to the leaching of basic cations in the high rainfall receiving areas. More than 80% of soils in north eastern region are acidic. In hilly areas, low agricultural production is owing to low soil fertility due to soil acidity, erosion, continuous cropping, and inadequate sustainable soil fertility management. Acid soils are devoid of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, boron and molybdenum while aluminium and iron are in toxic concentration. Crop production is significantly affected by soil acidity because of lack basic cations, poor microbial activity and toxicity of few micronutrients. There are several organic and inorganic management practices namely agricultural lime application, acid-tolerant crops, balanced fertilizer use, improved agronomic, cultural, and biological methods such as crop residue management, green manuring, agroforestry, integrated nutrient management, etc. For resilient, environmentally sensitive farming and longterm
food security in India, especially in northeast India, these sustainable acid soil management strategies could be cost-effective, environment friendly solutions that improve crop yields while enhancing soil health.