Soil plant water dynamics and soil health as affected by nutrient management practices under gram maize cropping sequence

Abstract

newline An experiment was conducted at the farm of Department of Soil Science, CSKHPKV, Palampur during 2013-16 by taking gram-maize cropping sequence. There were three tillage treatments i.e. conservation tillage, conventional tillage and no tillage; and three nutrient management practices i.e. organic management, integrated management and RDF management (inorganic). Gram and maize was taken as main crops and wheat was grown with gram crop without any tillage practice i.e. integrated and RDF management. Aerobic and anaerobic composts were used in crop as soil application and for top dressing. The organic management with conventional tillage was found to be significantly superior with rest of the treatment combinations on yield attributes, symbiotic parameters and yield of gram in all the three years. The major constraints to grow gram at Palampur was the attack of root rot disease. The disease incidence was reduced through organic nutrient management with conventional tillage. The yield attributes and yield of maize was better in integrated management in first year and in organic management in second year. The conventional tillage in both the years registered significant impact on yield and yield attributes of maize. The yield and yield attributes was better in gram-maize cropping sequence than wheat-maize cropping sequence under integrated and RDF management. The protein and carbohydrate content of gram and maize in both seed and straw was found to be higher in organic management with conventional tillage. The nutrient content and uptake of nutrients was the highest in organic nutrient management with conventional tillage in all the crop growth stages in gram and at harvest whereas in maize it was the highest in integrated nutrient management with conventional tillage. The RLWC (Relative Leaf Water Content), LSC (Leaf Saturation Curve) and volumetric soil moisture content was recorded highest in organic management with conventional tillage in both gram and maize. All the physical properties except availa