M. RATNAM, R. LAKSHMIPATHY, I. USHA RANI* AND G. SUBBARAO
Agricultural College, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Bapatla-522 101 (Andhra Pradesh), India
*(e-mail: usha.soilscience@angrau.ac.in; Mobile : 99499 29610)
(Received: October 10, 2022; Accepted: November 16, 2022)
ABSTRACT
Crop residue incorporation studies in vertisols of Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam, Guntur,
AP during kharif 2017-18, 2018-19 and during rabi 2019-20 were carried in sequence in order to investigate the effect of recycling (incorporation) of foxtail millet residue on soil organic carbon, soil N, P, K, enzymatic activity viz., dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and urease, soil microbial population viz., fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, pseudomonads, PSB, Azospirillum, Azotobacter and Rhizobium and yield of Bengal gram under foxtail millet-Bengal gram sequence in vertisols. The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design and replicated thrice. Analysis of three years of the experimental data revealed that application of 75% RDF+crop residue incorporation of foxtail millet followed by the application of bio-fertilizer consortia significantly influenced the soil organic carbon, soil N, P, enzymatic activity, soil microbial population and yield of succeeding chickpea which was on a par with 75% RDF+crop residue incorporation of foxtail millet along with the application of bio-fertilizer consortia and the spraying of 2% urea at pod filling stage to the succeeding chickpea and also recorded 32 and 31% yield increment over RDF, respectively. This study clearly indicated the role of incorporation of crop residue and bio-fertilizers on soil nutrients, soil health, crop growth and yield parameters under foxtail millet-Bengal gram sequence.
Key words : Crop residue, bio-fertilizers, RDF, enzymatic activity, foxtail millet, Bengal gram