Effect of organic manures and crop residue management on physical, chemical and biological properties of soil under pigeonpea based intercropping system

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic manures (FYM and pigeonpea stalk) along with phosphocompost on physico-chemical and biological properties of soil in pigeonpea based intercropping system at Pulses Research Unit, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra during Kharif season of 2013–14 on inceptisol. The results revealed that lower bulk density, pH and electrical conductivity, higher organic carbon and available N, P, K and significantly highest soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and microbial population (fungal, bacterial and actinomycetes) were observed in pigeonpea + blackgram and pigeonpea + greengram intercropping over sole pigeonpea system. Among combined use of organic manure, FYM + phosphocompost and pigeonpea stalk + phosphocompost resulted in improvement of physical, chemical and biological properties of soil over recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) application.