A Study on Physio-chemical Changes in Soil as Influenced by Tillage and Crop Residue Management

Author: Pragya Kurmi, Somasundaram Jayaraman, Shashi S. Yadav and Nishant K. Sinha

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Abstract

Tillage, undoubtedly, is one of the most crucial practices to ameliorate crop productivity and maintain soil health. The study was conducted at ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three tillage systems (reduced tillage [RT], no-tillage [NT] with crop residue retention, and conventional tillage [CT] without residue), and four cropping systems: soybean + pigeon pea (2:1), soybean–wheat, maize + pigeon pea (1:1), and maize–chickpea. The soil samples were collected from 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 cm soil layer in 2022. The findings indicated that tillage had significant effect on soil bulk density and available water content after harvest of crop at 5% level of significance. RT reported maximum improvement in soil bulk density (1.13 Mg m-3) at surface layer of 0-10 cm. Available water content, after harvesting the crop registered higher values under CT system (13.83%) compared to RT (13.4%) and NT (12.34%). Additionally, soil pH and electrical conductivity had no impact of tillage cropping system and soil depth. The interaction effects were also found no significant (p<0.05). Thus, continuous CA has been suggested for maximum improvement in soil properties

Keywords

Tillage, soil properties, residue management, bulk density, available water

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of tillage and residue management on soil bulk density and available water content. These factors were found to play a crucial role in influencing soil structure and moisture retention, which are vital for crop growth and soil health. However, the study also revealed no significant effect on soil pH and electrical conductivity, suggesting that these factors may not be as responsive to changes in tillage practices and residue management. These findings emphasize the importance of appropriate tillage and residue management strategies in optimizing soil physical properties while maintaining stable soil chemical conditions

References

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How to cite this article

Pragya Kurmi, Somasundaram Jayaraman, Shashi S. Yadav and Nishant K. Sinha (2025). A Study on Physio-chemical Changes in Soil as Influenced by Tillage and Crop Residue Management. Biological Forum, 17(2): 61-66