Studies on influence of different cropping systems on soil fertility sustenance in the vertic ustropept

Abstract

A research work was initiated during 2018-19 at Tamil nadu agricultural University with different cropping sequences involving annual crops in three seasons with four cropping sequences along permanent fodder crops such as BN hybrid grass, desmanthus and cenchrus to study the influences of these cropping on soil quality parameters. The results are, the physicochemical do not influenced by cropping sequences. The higher level of organic carbon (5.88 g/kg), available nitrogen (265 kg/ha), available phosphorus of 22.3 kg/ha, available potassium of 598 kg/ha was registered in cowpea-ragi-green manure sequence. The higher value of active soil carbon (685 mg/kg) was recorded in bajra napier (BN) fodder grass. The cowpea-ragi-green manure (GM) recorded higher macro aggregates carbon (6.58 g/kg), higher micro aggregate associated carbon (8.66 g/kg), Higher soil dehydrogenase enzyme activity of 179.3 mg TPF/kg/24 hrs and alkaline phosphatase activity (58.25 PNP ug/g/hr) was observed in cowpea-ragi-GM. The microbial population, bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes are better expressed in cowpea-ragi-GM (52 cfu x 10-6 g/soil, 23 cfu x 10-4 g/soil and 13 cfu x 10-3g/soil.