Short-Term Effect Of Conservation Agriculture  Practices On Soil Quality Of A Vertisol In Central India

Awanish Kumar; J Somasundaram; A K Biswas; Nishant K Sinha; V N Mishra; R S Chaudhary; M Mohanty; K M Hati; R Saha; A K Patra

doi:10.48165/

Authors

Awanish Kumar ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
J Somasundaram ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
A K Biswas ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
Nishant K Sinha ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
V N Mishra ndira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Krishak Nagar, Raipur- 492012, Chhattisgarh (India)
R S Chaudhary ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
M Mohanty ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
K M Hati ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)
R Saha ICAR- Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore - 700120, West Bengal (India)
A K Patra ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal – 462 038, Madhya Pradesh (India)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/

Keywords:

Contrasting tillage, cropping system, soil quality, soil quality index, soil physic-chemical properties

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of contrasting tillage systems viz., no- tillage, reduced tillage and conventional tillage with four cropping systems viz., soybean + pigeon pea (2:1), soybean - wheat, maize + pigeon pea (1:1) and maize - chickpea on yields and soil quality in a Vertisols of Central India. Surface soil samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical properties. Correlation analysis of seven soil physicochemical attributes showed a significant correlation in eight (P < 0.01) and four (P < 0.05) attribute pairs out of the 49 soil attribute pairs. The results revealed that the soil properties such as soil reaction (pH), electrical conductivity, organic carbon, mean weight diameter, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were influenced by tillage and cropping systems. Evaluation of soil quality using soil quality index (SQI) under different tillage and cropping system showed that soil quality was better in maize + pigeon pea (1:1) and soybean + pigeon pea (2:1) under reduced tillage and no tillage ascompared to the other systems. The tillage that caused destructive effects on soil quality should be discouraged for long-term cultivation to maintain good soil health for sustainable agricultural production. The value of SQI was positively and significantly correlated with soybean grain equivalent yield for all the tillage and cropping system. This indicates that the index parameters may be used for

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abrol, I.P. and Sangar S. 2006. Sustaining Indian agriculture – Conservation agriculture. Current Science, 91: 1000-1025.

Albrecht, M., Duelli, P., Müller, C. B., Kleijn, D. and Schmid, B. 2016. Swiss agri-environment scheme enhances pollinator diversity and plant reproductive success in nearby intensively managed farmland. Journal of Applied Ecology, 85: 105-134.

Allison, S.D. and Vitousek, P.M. 2005. Responses of extracellular enzymes to simple and complex nutrient inputs. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 37: 937-944.

Andrews, S.S., Karlen, D.L. and Mitchell, J.P. 2002. A comparison of soil quality indexing methods for vegetable production systems in Northern California. Agricultural Ecosystems and Environment, 90: 25-45.

Aparicio, V. and Costa, J.L. 2007. Soil quality indicators under continuous cropping systems in the Argentinean Pampas. Soil and Tillage Research, 96: 155-165.

Aziz, I., Ashraf, M., Mahmood, T. and Islam, K.R. 2013. Crop rotation impact on soil quality. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 43: 949-960.

Corsi, S., Friedrich, T., Kassam, A., Pisante, M. and de Moraes Sà, J. 2012, Soil organic carbon accumulation and greenhouse gas emission reductions from conservation agriculture: A literature review. Integrated Crop Management, 16: 89.

Derpsch, R., Sidiras, N. and Roth, C.F. 1986. Results of studies made from 1977 to 1984 to control erosion by cover crops and no-tillage techniques in Parana´, Brazil. Soil and Tillage Research, 8: 253-263.

Haggblade, S. and Tembo, G., 2003. Conservation Farming in Zambia. EPTD Discussion Paper No. 108: IFPRI, Washington, USA.

Hargrove, W.L., Reid, J.T., Touchton, J.T. and Gallaher, R.N. 1982. Influence of tillage practices on the fertility status of an acid soil double-cropped to wheat and soybean. Agricultural Journal, 74: 684-687.

Hati, K.M., Chaudhary, R.S., Mandal, K.G., Bandyopadhyay, K.K., Singh R.K., Sinha, N.K., Mohanty, M., Somasundaram, J. and Saha, R. 2015. Effects of tillage, residue and fertilizer nitrogen on crop yields, and soil physical properties under soybean–wheat rotation in vertisols of central India. Agricultural Research, 4: 48-56.

Hossain, M.Z. 2001. Farmer's view on soil organic matter depletion and its management in Bangladesh. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 61: 197-204.

Hou, E., Chen, C., McGroddy, M.E. and Wen, D. 2014. Nutrient limitation on ecosystem productivity and processes of mature and old-growth subtropical forests in China. PLoS One, 7, e52071. DOI:10.1371/ journal.pone.0052071.

Islam, K.R. and Weil, R.R. 2000. Land use effects on soil quality in a tropical forest ecosystem of Bangladesh. Agricultural Ecosystems and Environments, 79: 9-16.

Jackson, M. L. 1967. Soil Chemical Analysis, Prentice Hall, New Delhi, India. John, R.N. and Parkins, K.S., 2002. Aggregate stability and size distribution. pp. 317-328. In: Methods of Soil Analysis (ed. A.D. Warren) Part 4. American Society of Agronomy Monograph 9, Madison, USA,

Jokela, W., Posner, J., Hedtcke, J., Balser, T. and Read, H. 2011. Midwest cropping system effects on soil properties and on a soil quality index. Agronomy Journal, 103: 1550-1562. Karlen, D.L., Mausbach, J.W., Doran J.W., Cline, R.G., Harris, R.F. and Schuman, G.E. 1997. Soil quality: A concept, definition and framework for evaluation. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 61: 4-10.

Karlen, D.L. and Stott, D.E. 1994. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. 34: 53-72. In: Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment (eds. Doran

Impact of conservation agriculture practices on soil quality of a vertisol 33

JW, Coleman DC, Bezdicek DF, Stewart BA). SSSA Special Publ. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Kemper, W.D. and Rosenau, R.C., 1986. Aggregate stability and size distribution. pp. 425-442. In: Methods of Soil Analysis, Part I. (ed. A. Klute). American Society of Agronomy Monograph 9, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Kennedy, A. and Smith, K. 1995. Soil microbial diversity and the sustainability of agricultural soils. Plant and Soil, 170: 75-86.

Kennedy, A.C. and Papendick, R.I. 1995. Microbial characteristics of soil quality. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 50: 243-248.

Larson, W.E., and Pierce, F.J. 1994. The dynamics of soil quality as measure of sustainable management. pp. 37–51. In: Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment (eds. J.W. Doran, D.C. Coleman, D.F. Bezdick and B.A. Stewart). SSSA Special Publcation No. 35, SSSA/ASA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Machado, P.L.O.A., Madari, B.E., Torres, E., Andrade, A.G. and Valencia, L. 2001. No tillage and crop rotation effects on soil aggregation and materials, sterilization method and storage temperature on survival and biological activities of Azotobacter chroococcum inoculant. Annals of Agricultural Science, 58: 111-118.

Machado, PLOA. and Silva, C.A. 2001. Soil management under no tillage systems in the tropics with special reference to Brazil. Nutrient Cycling and Agroecosystem, 61: 119-130. Mohanty, M., Sinha, N.K., Hati, K.M., Chaudhary, R.S. and Painuli, D.K. 2013. Stability of soil aggregates under different vegetation covers in a Vertisol of central India. Journal of Agricultural Physics, 12: 1-12.

Olsen, S.R., Cole, C.V., Watanable, F.S. and Dean, L.A. 1954. Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. Circ. USDA, USA.

Patrick, M., Tenywa1, J.S., Ebanyat, P., Tenywa1, M.M., Mubiru, D.N., Ali B.T. and Adrian Leip. 2013. Soil organic carbon thresholds and nitrogen management in tropical agro-ecosystems: Concepts and Prospects Journal of Sustainable Development, 6: 12, 31-43.

Parkin, T.B., Doran, J.W. and Franco-Vizcaino, E. 1996. Field and laboratory tests of soil respiration. pp. 231-246. In: Methods for Assessing Soil Quality Doran (ed. J.W. Jones). SSSA Spec. Publ. 49, Soil Science Society of America. Madison, USA.

Ray D.K., Ramankutty N. Mueller, N.D., West P.C. and Foley J.A. 2012. Recent patterns of crop yield growth and stagnation. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2296. Saini, J. and Grewal, K.S. 2014. Vertical distribution of different forms of potassium and their relationship with different soil properties in some Haryana soil under different crop rotation. Advance Plants and Agriculture Research, 1: 10-15.

Seilsepo, M. and Rashidi, M. 2008. Prediction of soil cation exchange capacity based on some soil physical and chemical properties. World Applied Scientific Journal, 3: 200-205. Sinha, N.K., Chopra, U.K. Singh, A.K. 2014a. Cropping system effects on soil quality for three agroecosystems in India. Experimental Agriculture, 50: 03, 321-342.

Sinha, N.K., Mohanty, M., Meena, B.P., Das, H., Chopra, U.K. and Singh, A.K. 2014b. Soil quality indicators under continuous cropping systems in the arid ecosystems of India. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 9: 2, 285-293.

Sinha, N.K., Chopra, U., Singh, K., Anil, K., Mohanty, M., Somasundaram, J., Chaudhary, R.S. 2014. Soil physical quality as affected by management practices under maize–wheat system. National Academy Science Letters, 37: 13-18.

Sinsabaugh, R.L., Lauber C.L., Weintraub, M.N., Ahmed, B., Allison, S.D., Crenshaw, C.C., Alexandra, R., Cusack, D., Frey, S., Gallo, M.E., Gartner, T.B., Hobbie, S.E., Holland, K., Keeler, B.L., Powers, J.S., Stursova, M., Takacs Vesbach, C., Waldrop, M.P., Wallenstein, M.D., Zak, D.R. and Zeglin, L.H. 2008. Stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity at global scale.

Ecology Letters, 11: 1252-1264.

Awanish Kumar et al

Somasundaram, J., Singh, R.K., Ali, S., Sethy, B.K., Singh, D., Lakaria, B.L., Chaudhary, R.S., Singh, R.K. and Sinha, N.K. 2012. Soil aggregates and other properties as influenced by different long term land uses under table landscape topography of Chambal region, Rajasthan, India. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation, 40: 212-217.

Somasundaram, J., Singh, R.K., Prasad, S.N., Sethy, B.K., Kumar, A., Ramesh, K. and Lakaria, B.L. 2011. Management of black vertisols characterized by pot-holes in Chambal region, India. Soil Use and Management, 27: 124-127.

Somasundaram, J., Sinha, N.K., Patra, A.K. and Lal, R. 2017. Managing Surface Cracks of Vertisols. Encyclopedia of Soil Science (3rd edn.). Taylor & Francis. DOI: 10.1081/E-ESS3- 120052915.

Subbiah, B.V. and Asija, G.L. 1956. A rapid procedure for the determination of available nitrogen in soils. Current Science, 25: 259-260.

Tabatabai, M.A. 1994. Soil enzymes. pp. 775-827. In: Methods of Soil Analysis: Microbiological and Biochemical Properties (eds. R.W. Weaver, J.S. Angle, P. Bottomley, D. Bezdicek, S. Smith, A. Tabatabai, and A.G. Wollum). Soil Science Society of America, Madison, USA.

Thierfelder, C. and Wall, P.C. 2009. Effects of conservation agriculture techniques on infiltration and soil water content in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Soil and Tillage Research, 105: 217-227. Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J. and Befort, B.L. 2011. Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Proceeding of National Academic Science, 108: 20260-20264. Verhulst, N., Govaerts, B., Verachtert, E., Castellanos-Navarrete, A., Mezzalama, M., Wall, P.C., Chocobar, A., Deckers, J. and Sayre, K.D. 2010. Conservation agriculture, improving soil quality for sustainable production systems. pp. 137-208. In: Advances in Soil Science: Food Security and Soil Quality (eds. R. Lal and B.A. Stewart). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

Walkley, A.J. and Black, C.A. 1934. An estimation of the DegtJardt method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37: 29-38.

Wienhold, B.J., Andrews, S.S. and Karlen, D.L. 2004. Soil quality: A review of the science and experiences in the USA. Environmental Geochemistry Health, 26: 89-95.

Yadav, N.S., Verma, R.S., Trivedi, S.K. and Bansal, K.N. 1999. Vertical distribution of forms of potassium in some soil series of vertisols Madhya Pradesh. Journal of Indian Society of Soil Science, 47: 431-436.