Response of soil enzymes to applied rice residues and its products

Abstract

Soil enzymes are considered as ideal indicators of soil quality with their direct involvement in nutrient cycles and thus nutrient transformations. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different rice residues (rice straw and husk) and its products (vermicompost and biochar) along with inorganic fertilizers on soil enzyme activity at different stages of rice. Nine treatments were applied of which organic amendments (rice straw, husk, vermicomposted rice straw, vermicomposted rice husk, rice straw biochar, rice husk biochar, and farmyard manure) were applied at the rate of 5t ha-1. Enzyme activity followed an increasing trend upto panicle initiation stage of rice after which it decreased in all treatments. Vermicomposted rice straw application along with inorganic fertilizers stimulated the activities of soil enzymes like dehydrogenase, urease, and acid phosphatase at a higher rate as against biochar and rice residues.