Effect of Different Grasses Grown with Varying Spacings on Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Red Soil

The effect of six promising grasses planted with three spacings in red sandy loam soil was studied in influencing some of the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The different spacings of grasses had no significant influence on any of the properties of the soil. There were significant differences in bulk density, aggregate stability, organic C and total N content of soils under different grasses in both the surface and sub-surface soil layers. In general Elephant gross (Pennisetum purpurium), Thin Napier (Pennisetum polystachyon), Guinea (Panicum maximum) and Dharwar Hybrid-4 (Pennisetum typhoides-African type x Pennisetum purpurium) grasses had more profound effect on the soil properties as compared to Rhodes (Chloris gayana) and Kamadhenu (Pennisetum typhoides-Golgeri 185×Pennisetum purpurium).