Transition to agroforestry significantly improves soil quality for increased food production and food security in the terrace ecosystem of Bangladesh

The study was aimed to evaluate soil chemical properties in jackfruit based multistoried agroforestry system in the central terrace ecosystem of Bangladesh. The study was conducted at a farmer’s field under Belabo upazila of Narsingdi district of Bangladesh from September, 2011 to January, 2014. Jackfruit trees were kept as upperstorey; papaya, lemon, mandarin and sweet orange were at middlestorey and seasonal vegetables such as eggplant, bottle gourd and ash gourd were grown as lowerstorey crops.The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were five treatments covering agroforestry with four orientations and sole cropping (jackfruit trees). Positive changes of the chemical properties of top soil layer were observed in agroforestry over sole cropping (jackfruit trees). Soil pH (4.62), total nitrogen (0.081%), organic carbon (0.61%), organic matter (1.05%), phosphorus (4.23 ppm), Sulphur (10.17 ppm), calcium (2.27 meq/100g), magnesium (0.46 meq/100g) and potassium (0.52 meq/100g) were found higher in agroforestry systems than that of sole cropping (jackfruit trees). Results revealed that soils in the agroforestry systems tuned to more fertile than soil in the sole cropping (jackfruit trees). The results clearly indicated that agroforestry systems are more suitable to build up soil fertility than the sole cropping (jackfruit trees).