Influence of Conservation Agriculture Production System on Available Soil Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Maize Equivalent Yield on a Fluventic Haplustepts in the North Central Plateau Zone of Odisha

A field experiment has been initiated on a Fluventic Haplustepts at Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, OUAT, in Kendujhar district located under the hilly terrains of North Central Plateau Zone, Odisha, during 2011–2012, in split plot design to assess the impacts of Conservation Agriculture Production System (CAPS) on available soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and Maize Equivalent Yield at the end of the 2^nd cropping cycle. The treatment details are conventional(CT) and minimum (MT) tillage with maize sole (M) and maize cowpea intercrop (M+C) as main plots during wet season and no cover crop (NCC), horse gram (H) and toria (T) as cover crops in sub-plots during rabi season, resulting a total of twelve different combinations. Physical protection of SOM due to less soil disturbances in MT resulted in higher available N (305 kg ha-1), P (17 kg ha-1) and K (364 kg ha -1). The inclusion of cover crops in CAPS significantly enhanced the available N (+5.13%), P (+6.35%) and K (+2.5%) over the soils with NCC. The maximum MEY of 103.61 q ha-1 was obtained from the CAPS of CT-M + C-M, which is at par with the CAPS of MT-M+C -M (102.86 qha-1). Though, the MEY under MT is marginally lower than CT system at the end of the second cropping cycle, the positive impact of MT on overall soil health will be reflected in yield in the long run.