Double mulching improves soil properties and productivity of maize-based cropping system in eastern Indian Himalayas

International Soil and Water Conservation Research

Rattan Lal¹  Savita Basavaraj²  Jayanta Layek³  Probir Kumar Ghosh⁴  Anup Das⁵  Subhash Babu⁶  Ramkrushna Gandhiji Idapuganti⁷  Gulab Singh Yadav⁷  Bidyapati Ngangom⁷ 

[1] College of Post Graduate Studies, Central Agricultural University, Umiam, Meghalaya, India;Corresponding author. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra, Agartala, Tripura, India.;ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Lembucherra, Tripura, India;ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India;Krishi Vigyan Kendra-ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Arunachal Pradesh Centre, Basar, Arunachal Pradesh, India;Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre, Ohio State University, USA;ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, India;

关键词: Cropping systems;    Rainfed agriculture;    Residual soil moisture;    Soil properties;    Water productivity;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years at North Eastern Indian Himalayan region to assess the effect of soil moisture conservation measures on soil and water productivity of different rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) - based cropping sequences. Results revealed that double mulching with in-situ maize stover mulch (MSM) + fresh biomass of white hoary pea (WHP-Tephrosia candida) and MSM + fresh biomass of ragweed (RW- Ambrosia artemisiifolia) improved soil moisture content (SMC) and leaf relative water content of crops during dry season. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content and stocks under MSM + WHP and MSM + RW mulches were significantly higher than that under no mulch at 0–15 cm depth. The soil microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity were maximum under MSM + WHP/RW. The highest system productivity was obtained from maize-French bean (Pole type-PT) sequence under MSM + RW followed by MSM + WHP. The water productivity was the highest under MSM + WHP. While SOC content was the highest under maize-French bean (PT), the maximum plant available nitrogen and phosphorus were obtained under maize-black gram sequence.Thus, double mulching technology involving MSM and RW (available in plenty) is a viable option for improving soil, crop and water productivity under rainfed hill ecosystems of eastern Indian Himalayas.

【 授权许可】

Unknown