1Ph. D. scholar and Professor & Head, Collage of Agriculture, Jabalpur
2Project coordinator, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, J.N.K.V.V., Jabalpur-482004(M.P)
*Author e-mail: atulyavinod@gmail.com
Online published on 13 December, 2017.
Objective of this study was to assess the influence on soil fertility in Vertisols under different cropping sequences. Soil samplings (0–15 cm depth) were done for two years from two districts (Jabalpur and Chhindwara) of Madhya Pradesh belonging to soybean-wheat, soybean-chickpea, maize-chickpea, maize-wheat, and paddy-wheat cropping sequences during 2013–14 & 2014–15. Sampling site for soybean-wheat sequence was AICRP on Long Term (since 1972) Fertilizer Experiment, where three selective treatments-absolute control, RDF and RDF+FYM were considered. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and available (KMnO4 oxidizable-N) and total nitrogen were determined using standard procedures. Irrespective of cropping sequences, maximum SOC was found at maximum vegetative growth stage in soybean-wheat rotation (5.7 g kg−1 soil) with application of RDF+FYM, while minimum (3.2 g kg−1 soil) with absolute control of soybeanwheat sequence. Available and total soil N was found more in kharif season where soybean was included in the cropping sequences as compared to other sequences. After growing cereal crop during rabi season the status was declined. So it can be inferred that the inclusion of the leguminous crop in different cropping sequences is beneficial towards increasing the soil fertility.
