STUDIES ON INFLUENCE OF CROPPING SYSTEMS ON SOIL PROPERTIES
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Date
2019-07-22
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CSKHPKV. 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-peasummer squash, okra-radish-onion, turmeric-pea-summer squash, rice-lettucepotato+coriander, rice-palak-cucumber, rice-broccoli-radish and colocasiapea+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.