Effect of conservation agricultural practices on selected soil physical properties and carbon pools in black soils of cental india
Loading...
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
JNKVV
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Conservation agriculture is a way to achieve goals of enhanced productivity and profitability while protecting natural resources and enhancing soil quality. The information on impact of conservation agriculture on soil organic carbon pools, soil microbial biomass carbon and soil physical properties are scanty in the black soils of central India. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made to study the effect of conservation agriculture under different cropping systems on soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and selected soil physical properties in black soils of central India.
Soil samples (surface and subsurface) were collected from experimental field under conservation agriculture experiment for soil analysis after three crop cycle. Results revealed that irrespective of all the depth, soil pH and EC data showed no significant difference under different tillage and cropping systems. The soil moisture content and mean weight diameter (MWD) at surface layer (0-15 cm) was significantly affected by the tillage treatments. Under reduced tillage (RT) practices, soil moisture content and MWD was higher than conventional tillage (CT) with an increase of 3-13 %. However, bulk density (BD) was significantly higher in CT than RT and statistically significant among tillage and cropping system at surface and sub-surface layer.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) data revealed that tillage practices were significantly different. The reduced tillage was significantly different from conventional tillage (CT) in 0-15 cm depth, whereas in the lower depths (i.e 15-30 and 30-45 cm) tillage practices did not have significant effect on SOC. However, cropping system did have effect on SOC content. The SMBC values were significantly different under tillage treatments. Among the cropping system studied, soybean+ pigeon pea (2:1), soybean – wheat and soybean + cotton (2:1) cropping systems were significantly different over soybean-fallow system. Whereas, SMBC value were at par in soybean fallow (rotated with maize-gram) and maize-gram cropping systems.
Impact of tillage system on SOC was found to significant only at surface layer (0-15 cm) and higher SOC value was observed under reduced tillage system as compared to CT. Among carbon pools studied, very labile, labile and non-labile were found to be significant among tillage system. Reduced tillage practices resulted in increased carbon pools particularly very labile and non-labile pools over CT. However, cropping system does not have any significant effect on SOC and carbon pools at different soil depth at the end of 3rd crop cycle.
Yield data indicated that that tillage had no effect on soybean grain equivalent (SGE) after three years of crop cycle. Among the cropping systems studied, maize-gram recorded significantly higher yield (45.70 q ha-1) followed by soybean+ pigeon pea (2:1) (31.62 q ha-1) and soybean-wheat (29.74 q ha-1) cropping system.
From the study, it was inferred that though there was a relative improvement of some soil properties like moisture content, organic carbon and pools, and microbial biomass carbon under reduced tillage after three years of crop cycle, however conspicuous/ significant results will be visible in the long term.