Soil nutrient status as influenced by resource consequence practices under cotton-soybean rotation in vertisols

Abstract

The present study was undertaken during 2016-17 at Research farm, Dr. PDKV, Akola. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments replicated three times in Vertisols. The objectives were to evaluate the effect of different resource conservation practices on soil nutrient status under cotton based soybean rotation in Vertisols. The cotton based soybean rotation was followed since 2011-12. The present experiment was superimposed on soybean during 2016-17. The treatments comprised for soybean crop was recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) alone and their compensation with organics viz., FYM, phosphocompost, neemcake, bio mulch (farm waste) and green leaf manuring. The results of the present experiment indicated that, the organic carbon was improved with the application of RDF through FYM + remaining P through phosphocompst (100 % N through FYM + compensation of P through phosphocompost to previous crop) (6.32 g kg-1). The application of RDF through FYM + phosphocompost (100% N through FYM and compensation of PC to previous cotton) recorded significantly higher available nitrogen (240.9 kg ha-1), available P (16.14 kg ha-1) and available K (352.1kg ha-1). The DTPA micronutrients viz; Fe (10.14 mg kg-1), Mn (9.09 mg kg-1), Zn (0.58 mg kg-1) and Cu (2.64 mg kg-1) were significantly increased with the application of 100 % N (FYM) + compensation of P (phosphocompost) to cotton + N compensation through urea and 100 % RDF + Phosphocompost to soybean. Thus, it can be inferred that, the management intervention comprising use of RDF through FYM + remaining P through phosphocompst (100 % N through FYM + compensation of P through phosphocompost to previous crop) helps to improve soil organic carbon and nutrient status under cotton based soybean rotation in Vertisols. The correlation (Pearson’s correlation coefficient) coefficient was highest among available N and DTPA Cu (r = 0.977**).