Impact of Various Farming Practices on Soil Physico-Chemical and Biological Properties in Inceptisol

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Pune, during May 2024 to November 2024 on soybean crop with a view to study the soil physico-chemical and biological properties of soil as influenced by different farming practices in Inceptisol. The experiment was laid in Randomized Block Design comprising four replications with five treatments viz.,1. Conventional farming practice, 2. Standard package of practices, 3. Organic farming practice, 4. Zero budget natural farming practice and 5. Climate resilient farming.Chemical characteristics of the soil, such as pH, EC and calcium carbonate, were unaffected. The soil's available macro and micronutrient content increased as a result of various farming practices. The climate resilient farming practice was shown to have significantly higher levels of available nitrogen (181.40 kg ha-1), available phosphorus (26.31 kg ha-1), available potassium (474.00 kg ha-1), and available sulfur (17.92 mg kg-1). In terms of the microbial population, enzymatic activity and available micronutrients, organic farming practice was determined to be beneficial. The availability of micronutrients, including iron (6.47 mg kg-1), manganese (3.37 mg kg-1), zinc (2.92 mg kg-1) and copper (3.61 mg kg-1), was greatly impacted by the organic farming method. The addition of organic matter to the soil has improved soil biological health and nutrient cycling, as showed by the significant increases in microbial populations (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, Rhizobium, PSB, KMB) and enzymatic activities (alkaline and acid phosphatase, dehydrogenase, urease) after harvest of soybean.