IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS ON APPLE PRODUCTION IN DRY TEMPERATE REGION
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Date
2023-11-03
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
Abstract
The present investigation on “Impact assessment of natural integrated farming systemson apple
production in dry temperate region” was carried out in dry temperate region of Himachal Pradesh during
2021-22. Trees of cultivar Royal Delicious in age between 20 to 25 years were selected. Three blocks of
district Kinnaur viz., Nichar, Kalpa, and Pooh were selected. A representative sample size of five sub-locations
with four orchards in each sub-location and apple based cropping systems (CS) was collected from each block.
On the basis of apparent performance, five randomly selected trees from each of the optimum sample size of 60
orchards were adopted. The current study also examined the significance of microbial communities on nutrient
dynamics and biological cycling on apple cropping behavior in legumes, pulses, and millets based cropping
systems. Apple + pea cropping CS increased plant height, tree girth, canopy diameter, shoot growth, and apple
leaf area by 7.92, 12.44, 5.87, 16.02, and 13.31 per cent, respectively. The maximum generative traits of trees
were measured both for apple + pea and apple + kidney bean CS in terms of TCSA (253.61 and 243.97 cm2),
TCV (61.82 and 59.37 m3), and canopy area (16.61 and 16.21 m2), respectively. Fruit set and yield in apple +
pea was determined to be 2.70, 3.78, and 3.45, 7.47 times higher than those in apple + buckwheat. Agromorphological
and biochemical characteristics of apple were positively affected by different farming systems.
Soil pH changed towards neutral. When compared to monoculture, apple + pea CS showed an increase in SOC,
available N, P and K of 33.33, 32.74, 21.68, and 25.70 per cent, respectively. Intercropping pea, kidney beans,
and buckwheat had significant effects on the DTPA extractable micronutrients. Microbial biomass, measured in
terms of bacteria, actinomycetes, soil fungi, Azotobacter, and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, were improved
over monoculture cropping by 1.60, 1.27, 1.49, 1.47, and 1.72 times, respectively. AM fungal spore count which
ranged from 82.1 to 175.8 spores per 50 g of soil and 158.12 to 268.68 mg/kg of microbial biomass carbon. AM
fungal species, Glomus was most common in apple orchards under various cropping systems studied. Apple +
pea CS also increased the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatase in rhizosphere by 32.62 and 33.09 per cent,
respectively. Leaf N, P, and K in leaf varied from 1.85-2.36, 0.157-0.200 and 1.24-1.51 per cent, respectively.
With the exception of soil pH and EC, the relationship of fruit yield with leaf nutrient content, soil properties
and generative traits was positive and significant. Multiple regressions examined that the leaf nutrient content
and generative traits also accounted for almost all of the variation towards fruit yield. Path analysis indicated
that leaf nutrient content, generative traits, chemical and microbial properties of soil exerted a positive direct
effect on yield. Studies employing PCA determined that the first principal component (PC1) caused the greatest
cumulative variance of 97.19 per cent. Soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, rhizosphere microbial
population and nutrient availability were improved as a consequence of intercropped residues left over after
harvest. Consequently, the study concluded that transitioning to apple based cropping systems has positive
effects on the crop performance which can be a viable alternative to conventional farming.