SOIL QUALITY INDEXING OF AN ACID ALFISOL UNDER MAIZE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM AS INFLUENCED BY CONTINUOUS USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND SOIL AMENDMENTS
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Date
2013
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Publisher
CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishavavidyalaya, Palampur
Abstract
Keeping in view the importance of soil quality in maize-wheat cropping system, the present
investigation was undertaken with the objective of identifying physical, chemical and biological
indicators of soil quality using data collected from a long-term fertilizer experiment being conducted
since 1972 on maize-wheat cropping system at experimental farm of College of Agriculture CSK
HPKV, Palampur. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with eleven treatments
under long-term fertilizer experiment [i.e., control, 100% N, 100% NP, 100% NPK, 100%NPK + FYM,
100% NPK + Lime, 100% NPK + HW, 100% NPK + Zn, 100% NPK (-S), 50% NPK and 150% NPK]
replicated three times. Soil samples from surface (0–0.15 m) and subsurface (0.15–0.30 m) were
collected after harvest of 39th wheat crop during 2010–11 and were analyzed for physical, chemical and
biological properties. On the basis of the long-term yield data, sustainable yield index (SYI) was
calculated. Highest (0.854) and lowest (-0.116) overall SYI values were found in 100 per cent NPK +
FYM and 100 per cent N treatments, respectively. As per multivariate statistical analysis techniques,
saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil pH, labile carbon, available P and K, DTPA extractable Zn and
nitrogen mineralization were found to be the most important MDS indicators in this study. Multiple
regressions evaluated the efficacy of MDS taking SYI as goal (r2 = 0.98 and 0.95 for surface and subsurface
soil samples, respectively). Each MDS variable was transformed into score. The soil quality
index (SQI) was calculated by using weighting factors derived from principal component analysis
(PCA) for each scored MDS variable. The highest SQI values (2.848 and 2.811 for surface and subsurface
soil samples, respectively) were found in 100 per cent NPK + FYM treatment followed by 100
per cent NPK + Lime (1.673 for surface soil and 1.793 for sub-surface soil) and 100 per cent N
treatment being the lowest (0.112 and 0.263, respectively for surface and sub-surface soils). It was
concluded that the balanced fertilization along with manures (100% NPK + FYM) improved the soil
aggradation process as well as biological activity of soil and maintained soil quality and sustainability
of productivity.
Description
Doctoral Dissertation
Keywords
##Unable to generate tags the textile educator by l j mills.pdf, Soil Science, ##Unable to generate tags the textile educator by l j mills.pdf, Crops