Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Pigeon Pea-based Intercropping System and Soil Properties in Mollisols of the Tarai Region

A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2007 and 2008 at the Crop Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar to evaluate the effect of three cropping systems (pigeon pea sole, pigeon pea + black gram and pigeon pea + maize), two levels of inoculation [with and without phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB)] and three levels of farmyard manure (0, 2.5 and 5.0 t ha⁻¹) on soil properties and yields of pigeon pea, black gram and maize. Results revealed that application of different treatments did not affect the bulk density, particle density and porosity significantly after harvest of pigeon pea in both the years. Intercropping of black gram with pigeon pea recorded higher values of organic carbon; available N, P, K contents; microbial population; dehydrogenase activity in soil; and yields of pigeon pea and its equivalent over its other counterparts after the harvest of crops. Inoculation of seeds with PSB recorded significantly higher values of available P, microbial population, dehydrogenase activity in soil, and yields of component crops and pigeon pea equivalent over un-inoculated seeds. Application of 5.0 t FYM ha⁻¹ increased organic carbon; available N, P and K contents; biological properties of soil viz., microbial population and dehydrogenase activity; and yields of component crops and pigeon pea equivalent over no application of FYM.