Microbial Biomass and Enzymatic Activity of Major Cropping Systems in Soils of Inceptisols and Vertisols at Northern Telangana

Abstract

Under cropping systems, microbial biomass plays a major role in nutrient and energy flow of soil. Similarly, urease and dehydrogenase activities are essential for nitrogen cycle and determining biological index of soils, respectively. However, their information is minimal at major cropping systems of this region. Therefore, surface soil (00-15 cm) samples were collected after 8 years from rice-rice, rice-maize, cotton and turmeric-sesame cropping systems at soils of Inceptisols and Vertisols of Northern Telangana zone during kharif 2019. A five replicated soil samples were collected, assessed and statistically analyzed with factorial randomized block design. The results revealed that the forms of microbial biomass carbon (14%) and nitrogen (22%), urease (29%) and dehydrogenase (20%) activity were found to be higher in cropping systems under Vertisols compared to Inceptisols. Among the cropping systems, rice-rice showed significantly higher biological properties than others. The interactions are significant for urease activity. Urease and dehydrogenase activity is positively correlated with soil available nitrogen and organic carbon content of soils, respectively of cropping systems.