A Comparative Study of Long-Term Conventional and No-Tillage Practices on the Basis of Available Soil Nutrients, Soil Organic Carbon and Crop Productivity in Black Soils of Central India
Sourabh Raghuwanshi
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
R. S. Chaudhary *
ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
J. Somasundaram
ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, India.
N. K. Sinha
ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
S. K. Trivedi
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Pragya Kurmi
Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Crop residue removal in conventional tillage (CT) can cause the depletion of soil nutrients (such as N, P, K) and organic carbon resulting in negative nutrient balance/depleted soil fertility. No-tillage (NT) is seen as a good substitute for CT in terms of preserving soil fertility and enhancing the soil productivity. The present study carried out in black soil of central India comprising of 2 tillage systems and 3 crop rotations to compared the effects of long-term conventional and no-tillage practices on available soil nutrients, soil organic carbon and crop yield differences in different cropping systems. Conventional tillage and No-till were factored into, soybean-wheat, maize-wheat and maize-gram systems. The long-term no-tillage treatment resulted in higher soil organic carbon (0.95%), available soil nitrogen (222.61 Kg ha-1), phosphorus (24.62 Kg ha-1) and potassium (583.63 Kg ha-1) contents at the 0–10 cm depth than the conventional tillage treatment. Crop productivity in terms of soybean grain equivalent yield (SGEY) was significantly higher in NT (41.42 quintal ha-1) compare to CT (35.36 quintal ha-1). The study proven that no-tillage is an effective strategy to improve soil fertility (organic carbon and available nutrients) and crop yield of different cropping systems in black soils of central India.
Keywords: Conventional tillage, no-tillage, available nutrients, soil organic carbon, crop productivity