Effects of long-term practices of different cropping systems on Physico-chemical parameters of soil quality

Abstract

The long-term inclusion of pulses in cropping systems improved the soil fertility, subsequently increased the crop nutrient acquisition and crop productivity. The present research work carried out during 2017-18 at research farm of Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dholi, Muzaffarpur. In the college premises, the various types of types of cropping pattern has been adopted on same piece of land since last more than five years with normal cultivation practices. Soil samples were collected from each treatment (cropping system) at harvesting of crops after completion of one cropping cycle for the analysis of soil Physico-chemical properties. The lowest soil pH exhibited in rice-wheat cropping system followed by pigeon pea cropping system might be attributed to submergence of soil during rice cultivation and greater amount of leaf litters fall throughout crop life cycle in pigeonpea field. The lower value of bulk density (1.21 Mg m-3) and (1.24 Mg m-3) was recorded with mustard mungbean and pigeon pea cropping system. The reduction in bulk density may be attributed to the higher soil organic carbon due to more addition of roots and plant biomass as compared to the fallow land. The variability in Cation Exchange Capacity was ranged from 16.66 to 28.62 (Cmol (P+) kg-1). Mean weight diameter in different treatment varied from 2.51mm to 4.49mm and the highest MWD was recorded in pigeonpea cropping system whereas; the lowest was noticed in fallow lands.