Effect of Plant Residues Incorporation on Specific Microbial Groups and Availability of Some Plant Nutrients in Soil

In an incubation study, incorporation of the residues of Lantana camara tops, Ipomea cornea tops, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crasipes), karanj leaves (Pongamia glabra), subabul leaves (Leucaena leucocephala), lentil straw (Lens esculenta Moench), maize stover (Zea mays L.) and rice straw (Oryza sativa L.) in an acid clay loam soil (Alfisol) significantly increased the populations of aerobic non-symbiotic nitrogen fixing, phosphate solnbilizing and sulphur oxidising microorganisms. Incorporation of the organic wastes significantly increased pH and nutrient status of an acid soil. Decomposition of subabulleaves yielded highest amount of mineral nutrients in the soil.