Effect of Nutrient Management Practices on Soil Health and Crop Response under Different Cropping Systems in a Vertisol of Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the Effect of nutrient management newlinepractices on soil health and crop response under different cropping systems in a Vertisol of newlineNorthern transition zone of Karnataka at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of newlineAgricultural Sciences, Dharwad during 2007-08. The experiment was laid out in strip plot newlinedesign with nutrient management practices as main plots and cropping systems as subplots newlinewith three replications. newlineAmong the nutrient management practices organic plots recorded significantly higher newlinesoybean (2790 kg/ha), groundnut (3709 kg/ha) and chilli (1001 kg/ha) equivalent yields where newlineas integrated plots recorded significantly higher maize (4330 kg/ha) and potato (4723 kg/ha) newlineequivalent yields and were found superior over inorganic plots. newlineBoth organic and inorganic fractions of nitrogen in soil increased over time under newlineorganic followed by integrated nutrient management practices during both kharif and rabi newlineseasons. Nitrogen fractions under inorganic nutrient management practice increased up to newline60 DAS and later declined. The dehydrogenase, phosphatase and urease activity were found newlineto be maximum under integrated followed by organic nutrient management practice and their newlineactivity increased up to 30 DAS and then sharply declined. newlineAfter harvest of rabi crops the soil organic carbon in organic plots increased by 32.6 newlineper cent. Similarly, in integrated plot it increased by 17.1 per cent whereas in inorganic plot newlinesoil organic carbon decreased by 11.0 per cent over the initial value. The available N, P2O5, newlineK2O and S content of soil increased by 19.1, 46.3, 9.6 and 54.0 per cent respectively, and newlineDTPA extractable Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu increased by 18.6, 30.6, 36.5 and 30.0 per cent, newlinerespectively under integrated nutrient management practice over their initial values. Legume newlinebased cropping system at the end of their crop cycle improved the soil fertility status with newlinerespect to available N, P2O5, K2O, S and micronutrients content of soil. newline