STUDIES ON INFLUENCE OF CROPPING SYSTEMS ON SOIL PROPERTIES
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Date
22-07-19
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CSK HPKV, Palampur
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the years 2017-18 at Bhadiarkhar farm, Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSKHPKV, Palampur to evaluate effect of eight cropping systems viz. rice-wheat, rice-pea-summer squash, okra-radish-onion, turmeric-pea-summer squash, rice-lettuce-potato+coriander, rice-palak-cucumber, rice-broccoli-radish and colocasia-pea+coriander on various soil properties and productivity. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design and was replicated four times. The soil of experiment site was silty clay loam in texture, acidic in reaction (5.3), medium in available nitrogen (362.4 kg ha-1), high in available phosphorus (73.6 kg ha-1) and medium in available potassium (115.2 kg ha-1). Study of one year revealed that rice-pea-summer squash resulted in higher microbial population, microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity. Higher available K and lower bulk density were recorded in turmeric-pea-summer squash. Colocasia-pea+coriander resulted in higher available N and DTPA-Fe. Better available phosphorus and phosphatase activity were recorded in rice-palak-cucumber. Rice-palak-cucumber cropping system resulted in the highest rice grain equivalent yield (16,477 kg ha-1) compared to the traditional rice-wheat system. Maximum returns (Rs 2,19,828), benefit cost ratio (1.76) and productivity (63.6 kg ha-1 day-1) were also recorded from this system. The yield was significantly and positively correlated with available nitrogen, DTPA-Fe, microbial population, microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity. Therefore, farmers should substitute existing rice-wheat cropping system with rice-based vegetable systems for improved soil properties, productivity and returns.