The Impact of Stubble Burning on Soil Microbial Community: A Comparative Analysis of Colony-forming Units of Rhizospheric Bacteria

Author: Khare J. and Bharti D.

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Abstract

India's economy is powered by its agricultural sector. India has the second-largest agro-based economy in the world. A year-round agricultural waste comes from high levels of agricultural production. Even if the costs of collecting, processing, and transportation may be greater, the consequences of burning crop residue are intolerable which has a huge impact on soil ecology as well. An important component of soil ecology is the organisms that are necessary for nutrient cycling, the decomposition of organic matter, the support of plant development, and the production of soil. Therefore, the presence of microbial soil fertility components is essential; unfortunately, they are occasionally ignored or completely discarded. Stubble burning has been a flammable topic concerned with the environment as a whole. Not only has it impacted the air but soil microbial life as well. Viable plate count is a promising method to account for the impact of stubble burning on microorganisms present in the rhizosphere. Soil from wheat (Triticum aestivum) fields was collected from different regions of Madhya Pradesh at three intervals and subjected to viable plate count method to assess the effect of stubble burning on the microorganisms present in the soil. Colony forming units (cfu) were calculated in 100 soil samples of stubble burning fields. A significant decrease in the number of viable colony forming cells was observed in the soils collected after the burning of stubble in the wheat fields indicating a harmful effect of this practice in farming. The overall results showed average before burning cfu count as 2.03 × 108 cells/gram of soil. However, after burning average cfu count came as 2.96 × 107 cells/gram of soil. The purpose of this article is to present a concise overview of the existing situation of stubble burning, loss of bacterial biodiversity and potential remedies in order to enhance sustainable agricultural industry. The cfu count proved to be a good measure in assessing microbial flora and the impact of stubble burningon rhizospheric bacteria.

Keywords

cfu count, stubble, Rhizosphere, viable colony, Triticum aestivum

Conclusion

The impact of stubble burning can be clearly visualized in soil samples collected from wheat fields set on fire. Even the lowest cfu count in the before burning samples were higher than the after burning ones. This issue is serious and a huge lesson has to be taken in terms of soil ecology. Microorganisms are an inherent part of soil and such continuous exposure to stubble burning may lead to some deleterious changes in the microbial biodiversity.

References

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How to cite this article

Khare J. and Bharti D. (2023). The Impact of Stubble Burning on Soil Microbial Community: A Comparative Analysis of Colony-forming Units of Rhizospheric Bacteria. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 602-606.