Effect of Long Term Tillage and Soil Moisture Regime on the Chemical Properties of Soil under Mung Bean-Wheat and Sorghum-Wheat Cropping System

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during 2021-22 on an on-going long term experiment which was started since 2006-07 at Soil Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, CCS HAU, Hisar. The field experiment consisted of three tillage treatments i.e. CT-CT (Conventional tillage in both kharif and rabi season), ZT-CT (Zero tillage in kharif and conventional tillage in rabi) and ZT-ZT (Zero tillage in both kharif and rabi season). The experiment also consisted of two cropping system MW and SW (Mung bean-wheat and sorghum-wheat) and three soil moisture regimes (IW/CPE= 0.60, 0.75 and 0.90) with three replications. The results of the experiments revealed that the chemical properties of the soil were better under MW than SW cropping system. The adoption of long term zero tillage and soil moisture regimes improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil under mung bean and sorghum crop. The pH and electrical conductivity of the soil was highest under CT-CT followed by ZT-CT and the lowest were under ZT-ZT under both the cropping system. The soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content was highest under ZT-ZT followed by ZT-CT and the lowest were under CT-CT under both cropping system. Also, the pH and electrical conductivity of the soil were highest under M0.60 followed by M0.75 and the lowest were under M0.90 under both the cropping system. Similarly, the highest value of soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium content in soil was under M0.90 followed by M0.75 whereas the lowest value was under M0.60 under both the cropping system.