Impact of Conservation Agricultural Practices on Depth-wise Distribution of Soil Physico- chemical Attributes and available Soil Nutrients under Cotton- Maize- sesbania Cropping System

Author: Knight Nthebere, T. Ram Prakash, G. Jayasree, B. Padmaja, A. Meena and P.C. Latha

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Abstract

Industrial agriculture employed by the majority of the farmers as to increase the level of crop production had depleted soil nutrients required to boost plant nutrition. The farmers in Southern Telangana region follow conventional cereal- based production which removes large quantities of the soil nutrients rendering the soil infertile thereby posing the main challenge on soil health enhancement. A transition into conservation agriculture (CA) is the best strategy to save the soil resource and sustain productivity. This study is aimed to evaluate the impact of tillage and weed management on soil physico-chemical properties and soil nutrients distribution in two different depths after harvest of maize (after third year) in CA. Three tillages (main treatments); T1: conventional – conventional – fallow, T2: conventional – zero – zero and T3: triple zero + residue retention and weed management (sub-treatments): herbicides (W1 and W2), W3: IWM and W4: unweeded were laid in split-plot design. soil samples collected depth-wise (0–15, 15–30cm) post-harvest of maize were analysed for pH, EC, N, P, K and soil organic carbon (SOC) by following the standard protocols. The salient findings had indicated higher SOC (64.6%), N (21.37%), P (17.00%), K (11.89%), EC (8.89%) and lower pH (1.56%) in 0 –15 cm soil depth under conservation tillage (T3) over T1. All soil properties decreased with increase in depth. Weed management did not significantly affect these soil physico-chemical and soil nutrient’s parameters. These results signify conservation tillage (T3) as the prime management practices to enhance and maintain the soil nutrients, hence the solution for preservation of overall soil properties essential for soil quality improvement in agro-ecosystem.

Keywords

Soil quality, Soil health, Conservation agriculture, Soil properties, Depth-wise, Soil organic carbon

Conclusion

Conservation tillage (T3) enhanced the SOC, soil nutrients status (NPK) at 0 – 15 cm. Overall, soil parameters declined with increase in profile depth indicating less distribution at lower soil depth. Significantly higher SOC (64.6% and 25.47%) was recorded under conservation tillage (T3) over the initial value and farmers practice (T1) respectively at soil surface which had promoted overall soil quality properties. Thus, this present field experiment offers a decisive knowledge on the impact of tillage practices and weed management strategies on evaluating soil nutrient status variation with soil depth and on identifying the best management practices to be advocated for maintenance of soil quality and sustainable crop production under cotton – maize – Sesbania rotation systems.

References

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How to cite this article

Knight Nthebere, T. Ram Prakash, G. Jayasree, B. Padmaja, A. Meena and P.C. Latha (2023). Impact of Conservation Agricultural Practices on Depth-wise Distribution of Soil Physico- chemical Attributes and available Soil Nutrients under Cotton- Maize- sesbania Cropping System. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8a): 496-502.