Establishment of Soil Quality Critical Limits and Yield Prediction of Two Musa Cultivars in Bambusa tulda Assisted Jhum and Fallow Systems of Northeastern India

Shifting cultivation (Jhum) landscapes of Northeast India are increasingly affected by shortened fallow cycles, resulting in declining soil fertility and reduced crop productivity. Developing restoration strategies that improve soil quality while sustaining livelihoods is therefore critical for the long-term sustainability of upland agro-ecosystems in the region. The present work investigates the benefits of integrating Bambusa tulda and fallow duration in restoring soil productivity and improving banana performance in Jhum and fallow systems of Nagaland, Northeast India. Four land-use conditions—active Jhum land (JL), 3-year fallow (AJL3), bamboo-assisted fallow (AJLB), and 12-year fallow (AJL12)—were assessed using soil quality indicators, critical-limit analysis, and agronomic evaluation of two Musa cultivars (Atsu Mungo and Aot Mungo). The findings displayed higher soil organic carbon, nutrient availability, clay content, and moisture at AJLB and AJL12, which corresponded with superior vegetative growth, reduced crop cycle duration, and higher bunch weight and relative yield compared with JL and AJL3. Critical-limit categorization placed most soil indicators of AJLB and AJL12 within the adequate range, while JL and AJL3 remained largely moderate. Stepwise regression depicted that soil moisture and clay content were the strongest predictors of yield across cultivars. This study provides the first critical-limit framework linking soil quality indicators with banana productivity in bamboo-assisted Jhum systems of Northeast India, demonstrating that bamboo-based fallow management can accelerate soil recovery and enhance crop productivity in degraded shifting-cultivation landscapes.