Three nutrient stock estimation methods, generalized soil mass (GSM), bulk-density-based soil mass (BDSM) and the proportion of fine earth volume (FEV) method, were compared to estimate organic C and major available nutrient stocks in physically degraded agricultural soils of southern India. The stocks were lowest using FEV method followed by GSM and BDSM method. The study highlights the importance of estimation methods to obtain realistic estimates for the development of degraded land areas.