Use of Pine Litter as an Organic Amendent for an Inceptisol of Garhwal Region of Himalaya

Pine (Pinus roxburghii) litter was predecomposed for 75 days with 0.5 per cent solution/suspension of urea, DAP, lime, molasses, urea+lime+molasses, biogas slurry and dairy urine as separate treatments. Significant increase in yield of ragi (Elucine coracana) was recorded with all the treated pine litter materials in contrast to water soaked pine litter or no litter. Urea treated litter showed the overall best effect. The various pine litter treated materials helped in the gradual improvement of organic matter, available nitrogen and phosphorus in soil with single application of the litter. The yield of ragi was also correlated with these soil characteristics in each year. The prepared litter materials had no adverse effect on soil pH but the burnt litter applied during each crop growing season brought the soil pH to almost neutrality.