SOIL PROPERTIES AND SEED YIELD AS INFLUENCED BY ORGANIC AMENDMENTS IN MUSTARD-CLUSTER BEAN CROPPING SEQUENCE
D. V. PATHAK AND S. S. YADAV
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal (India)-123501
(Email: pathak_dv@rediffmail.com)
(Received: 5 September,2014; Accepted:3 December 2014)
SUMMARY
The different organic amendments which were tested during investigations included direct incorporation of mustard and cluster bean crop residues in the field, green manuring, use of vermicompost and FYM prepared for mustard residue and cattle dung in 1:1 ratio. All the three soil amendments viz; vermicompost, crop residue and farm yard manure@ 10.0 t/ha at 50 per cent and 75 per cent RDF significantly increased seed yield in both the crops –cluster bean as well as rapeseed mustard during 2nd and 3rd years of experimentation. Nutrients uptake in terms of N, P and K was also positively affected by soil amendments in both crops. Physical properties like bulk density (BD), water holding capacity (WHC) and infiltration rate numerically but non-significantly increased in organically amended plots when compared with the control or with initial values. Bulk density decreased from 1.47g/cc to1.44g/cc, while the water holding capacity and infiltration rate increased from 23.4 per cent to 23.7 per cent and 2.76 to 2.79 cm/hr; respectively, in organically amended plots. There was slight decline in soil pH in the plots amended with soil amendments, but this decline was non significant. EC was not affected by treatments. Organic carbon (OC per cent), available N and available P were significantly affected by organic amendments. Biological properties in terms of dehydrogenase activity (DHA), alkaline phosphatase activity and viable microbial count significantly varied in treated plots as compared with 50 per cent RDF/75 per cent RDF alone or over with initial values. Increase in seed yield of mustard due to organic amendments was non significant during first year of investigation. However, these values were found to be significant over respective doses of fertilizers in 2nd and 3rd years of investigations.
Key words:Organic amendments, soil properties, mustard residue, cluster bean, dehydrogenase.