Studies on Root Behaviour, Biomass and Morphological Characters of Indigofera gerardiana Wall. In Western Himalayas

Indigofera gerardiana Wall, attains an average height of 1.37 m with 3.66 m² average crown area. This shrub provides effective soil cover. Stem contributes maximum (53.8%) to the total biomass followed by ischolar_main (35.6%) and leaves (10.4%). Roots of a single plant can bind soil upto 1.34 m² with the strong tap and lateral ischolar_mains. The taper rate varies from 0.19 to 0.25 in tap ischolar_main and 0.08 to 0.15 in lateral ischolar_mains which itself is an indication of strong ischolar_main system.