Impact of Crop Diversification on Soil Quality and System Productivity Under Irrigated Sub-Tropics of Jammu Region
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Date
2023-11-06
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu
Abstract
A study entitled “Impact of Crop Diversification on Soil Quality and System Productivity Under Irrigated Sub-Tropics of Jammu Region” was carried out at Integrated Farming System (IFS)-Farming System Research Centre (FSR), Chatha of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu after completion of four years of cropping cycle during kharif season of 2022 to assess the effect of ten different cropping systems on soil quality and system productivity. The cropping systems studied were replicated four times in a Randomized Block Design (RBD). Surface (0-15 cm) and sub-surface (15-30 cm) soil samples were collected from all cropping systems from four replications and analysed for different soil properties viz., physical, chemical and biological. The results revealed that among physical soil properties, bulk density (1.26 g cm-3) was significantly lower under Rice (SJR-129)-Potato (Kufri Sindhuri)-Mash (NUL-7) cropping system whereas, water holding capacity (46.28 %) was statistically higher under Rice (Pusa-1121)-Wheat (HD-2967)-GM (Dhaincha) cropping system at surface (0-15 cm) soil only, respectively. Among soil chemical properties, no significant impact of crop diversification was observed for soil pH, EC and DTPA Mn at both surface (0-15 cm) and sub-surface (15-30 cm) soils. However, soil organic carbon (7.60 g kg-1 and 6.90 g kg-1) and soil microbial biomass carbon (122.10 µg g-1 and 115.37 µg g-1) improved significantly at both surface (0-15 cm) and sub-surface (15-30 cm) soils under treatment where Sorghum (MP Chari) +Cowpea (HF-642-1)-Berseem (Mascavi) Fodder cropping system was adopted. Available N(242.48 kg ha-1), P(25.40 kg ha-1) and K(138.40 kg ha-1) were improved significantly under Rice (SJR-129)-Berseem (Mascavi) Fodder-Seed cropping system whereas, DTPA Fe (27.98 mg kg-1), Zn(1.21 mg kg-1) and Cu (0.83 mg kg-1) were significantly higher under Rice (Pusa-1121)-Wheat (HD-2967)-GM (Dhaincha) cropping system at surface (0-15 cm) soil only, respectively. In case of soil biological properties, a significant impact of crop diversification on dehydrogenase activity (13.01 µg TPF 24 h-1 g-1 soil ), alkaline phosphatase activity (3.59 µg nitrophenyl phosphate h-1 g-1 soil), bacterial (10.64 cfu g-1), fungal (4.86 cfu g-1) and actinomycetes (6.82 cfu g-1) count was recorded at surface (0-15 cm) soil depth only under Rice (Pusa-1121)-Wheat (HD-2967)-GM (Dhaincha) cropping system. The overall soil quality index (SQI) at surface soil (0-15 cm) depth was significantly higher (0.92) under Rice (Pusa-1121)-Wheat (HD-2967)-GM (Dhaincha) cropping system and lowest (0.56) was recorded under Rice (B-370)-Wheat (HD-2967) existing cropping system. Among the various cropping systems, the highest Rice equivalent yield (REY) of 141.05 q ha-1, net returns of Rs. 265249 ha-1 with a B:C ratio of 2.29, system profitability of Rs.727 ha-1 day-1 and production efficiency (61.06 kg-1 ha-1 day-1) was realized under Rice (Pusa-1121) - Broccoli (Evergreen)-Okra (Seli special) cropping system. However, highest land use efficiency (LUE) (93.70 %) was observed in Rice (SJR-129)-Gobi Sarson (DGS-1)-Mash (NUL-7) cropping system. Overall study concludes that diversification of crop sequences with legumes and high value low volume crops enhanced system productivity and profitability per unit area and improves soil quality with increase in dehydrogenase activity, water holding capacity, bacterial and fungal count as key indicators of soil quality.
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Kaur, L. 2023. Impact of Crop Diversification on Soil Quality and System Productivity Under Irrigated Sub-Tropics of Jammu Region.M.Sc. Thesis, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu