Impact of organic nutrient sources and tillage on soil health and productivity and quality of maize lentil system

Abstract

newline An experiment was conducted at the Model Organic Farm of Department of Organic Agriculture, newlineCSKHPKV, Palampur during 2011-12 and 2012-13 by taking maize-lentil cropping sequence. There were two newlinetillage treatments i.e. conservation tillage and conventional tillage; and six different sources of organic nutrients newlineviz. biocompost, fortified biocompost, vermicompost, fortified vermicompost (at 10 t ha-1 each), biodynamic newlinecompost (7.5 t ha-1) and 60% recommended dose of fertilizers through biocompost + 20% through neem cake + newline20% through biofertilizers. The fortification was done by using 5 percent cow urine and biofertilizers (N fixers and newlineP solubilizers). Maize was taken as main crop and all the treatments were followed for maize, whereas, lentil was newlinegrown on the residual nutrients after maize harvest. The lentil straw was used as a residue for maize crop and newlinespread on surface in conservation tillage and incorporated into soil through deep tillage in conventional tillage. newlineDifferent biocomposts were prepared in both the years and analysed for the nutrient content and the best newlinebiocompost in terms of nutrient content and C:N ratio was used in the experiment. The available and total nitrogen newlineand phosphorus status in the soil was studied at every 15 days interval in both the years in both the soil depths to newlinefind out the release pattern of nitrogen and phosphorus in different treatments. The highest available and total newlinenitrogen and phosphorus in both the years at both depths at each interval was recorded under the treatment newlinecombination conventional tillage + 60% recommended dose of fertilizers through biocompost + 20% through neem newlinecake + 20% through biofertilizers. The available and total nitrogen and phosphorus in soil were found to be higher newlinein the second year as compared to first year. Similarly, the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in maize plants newlineat every 15 days interval was studied. The nutrient concentration was also recorded highest in the treatment newlineconventional tillage + 60% recommended dose of