Productivity and soil quality assessment in maize-wheat system under zero budget natural farming
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Date
2022-10-13
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palampur
Abstract
The present study on “Productivity and soil quality assessment in maize-wheat system under zero budget
natural farming” was carried out during 2018-19 and 2019-20 at the experimental farm of CSKHPKV-Hill
Agricultural Research and Extension Centre, Dhaulakuan, Sirmour (H.P.), India. The efficient utilization of
available resources at farm and the restriction of their use in zero budget natural farming (ZBNF), warrant
the need to study the soil quality and crop productivity under ZBNF system. Therefore, the present study
was undertaken to assess the soil quality in maize-wheat system using ZBNF components along with farm
yard manure (FYM). The field experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD)
consisting of three factors (jeevamrit concentration, interval of its application and FYM) along with control.
There were two levels of jeevamrit concentration [5% (J1) and 10% (J2)], two levels of interval of its
application [15 days (I1) and 30 days (I2)] and three levels of FYM doses [0 t ha-1
(F1), 5 t ha-1
(F2) and 10 t
ha-1 (F3)]. The soil samples at 0-0.15 m depth from each plot were collected before sowing as well as after
harvest of the both crops and were analyzed for soil chemical properties such as pH, electric conductivity,
organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, macronutrient content (N, P and K), secondary nutrient content
(Ca, Mg and S) and micronutrient content (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B and Mo), physical properties (bulk density,
mean weight diameter, saturated hydraulic conductivity and plant available water), biological properties
(microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and microbial count). The results revealed that growth
and yield attributes of both maize + blackgram and wheat + chickpea were increased with application of
higher concentration of jeevamrit (J2) at 15 days interval along with higher dose of FYM (F3). Maize grain equivalent yield with jeevamrit (J2) at 15 days interval+10 t FYM ha-1
treatment increased upto 4.71% during
2018 and 8.42% during 2019 whereas wheat grain-equivalent yield decreased upto 4.17% during 2018-19
and 0.47 % during 2019-20, over control (RDF). Soil physical, chemical and biological parameters were
improved significantly under zero budget natural farming and these properties improved further when FYM
was applied along with ZBNF component over RDF. Available nutrient status in soil under RDF treated
plots showed slight decrease from initial value, however the plots treated with higher concentration of zero
budget natural farming components along with higher dose of FYM showed significant increase from rest
of the treatments. The SQI under maize and wheat crop ranged from 2.60 to 3.67 and 2.56 to 3.71,
respectively and the highest was observed under T6 (J2I1F3). The maximum nutrient uptake in both crops and
its concentration in their grain was found with higher concentration of jeevamrit at 15 days interval along
with 10 t FYM ha-1
, whereas the lowest were recorded with lower concentration of jeevamrit at 30 days
interval without FYM.