Impact of maize-mustard cropping system on physical and chemical properties of soil in the northern hills region of Chhattisgarh

Introduction

Maize (Zea mays L.) crop regarded as a queen of cereals occupies pride place among rainy (Kharif) season crops in India and contributing around 24% of total cereal production (Sinha, 2018) [5] . It is the crop which has great relevance as staple crop, significant yield potential and third most important cereal grain in the world after wheat and rice. Maize has the origination from the Guatemala and southern part of the Mexico. Maize assumes to have worldwide significance as a source of food, feed and diverse industrial products (Prasanna et al., 2020) [15] . It is widely grown as the major crop throughout the world across a wide range of Agro-climates and diverse ecological zones. In world, total area under the maize was 197.2 m ha and the total production was 1148.48 million tons with an average yield of about 5.82 tons ha -1 (FAOSTAT, 2020) [3] . Seventy per cent of the world's production is being produced in countries of China, Brazil, Mexico and the United States of America. India has 5 per cent of maize acreage and contributes 2 per cent of world production (Tripathi et al., 2011) [23] . In India, maize occupies an area of about 9.72 million hectare and the production was 28.64 metric tonnes with average yield of 2945 kg ha -1 . The major maize-growing states in India are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh etc. These regions contribute more than 80 % of the nation's total maize production. In the state of Chhattisgarh it has an area about 206.63 thousand ha with productivity of 2789 kg ha - 1 during 2019-20. Nutrient management is the most important factor in maize-mustard cropping system as being both the crops are exhaustive feeders of plant nutrients and following this system leads to the removal of the nutrients in the significant amount that cannot be sufficed by proper fertilizer and manure application which ultimately leads to the decline in the fertility of soil and the production of the system is greatly affected. It is generally necessary to use chemical fertilizers in conjunction with organic manure to increase the soil health under continuous farming. The desired levels of crop output cannot be maintained by chemical fertilizers alone (Namdeo et al., 2021) [9] . In-situ incorporation of high C:N ratio cereal straw immediately before planting of the next crop leads to immobilization of mineral N and lower crop yields due to N deficiency. Crops that have been harvested and threshed, the left-out part of the plants after this process are known as the crop residues. The open field burning of crop residues is a major contributor to air pollution (particulates, smoke, greenhouse gases), and human respiratory ailments. Crop residue burning influences human health and global climate change. It results in a loss of organic matter, N and S, and partial loss of P (20%) and K (25%). Adverse effects on soil and environment quality from burning could be addressed by promoting the practice of retaining crop residues on the field. This requires development and promotion of a zero till (ZT) machine that could seed crops into a layer of crop residues thus, avoiding the harmful effects of burning (Sidhu et al., 2007) [20] . Surface residue retention provides multiple benefits, including soil moisture conservation, suppression of weeds, increase in the availability of plant nutrients, increase in soil enzyme activities, and improvement in soil organic matter and soil structure (Bera et al., 2017) [2] . Crop residue improves the soil fertility that substantially reduces the requirements of fertilizer N and increase crop yield. Physical and chemical condition of the soil also being maintained by the crop residues even management and improvement of the ecological balance is feasible by this crop residues. The main obstacles in the productivity of crops include soils with low levels of organic matter, water holding capacity, and crust formation. As the cost of chemical fertilizers increasing and also with aim of improving the health of soil, the role of organic material came out to be more significant as it recognized as major part in the sustainable production. The organic matter or crop residue helps to recycle the nutrients to correct their deficiencies. Studies indicated that use of organic sources can help to maintain a better N:P ratio and higher yield. Zero tillage is preferred in mustard as it conserves more moisture in the soil profile during early growth period. Subsequent release of conserved soil moisture regulates proper plant water status, soil temperature, lower soil mechanical resistance, leading to better root growth and higher grain yield of mustard (Rathore et al., 1999) [17] . If correctly managed, adding crop residue to the soil not only enhances the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the soil but also serves as a significant source of nutrients for crop productivity. In order to maximize the production, proper crop residues management technique as well as the proper management of nutrient is important.

Materials and Methods

The investigation titled "Impact of maize-mustard cropping system on physical and chemical properties of soil in the northern hills region of Chhattisgarh" was carried out during the kharif and rabi seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24. This chapter meticulously outlines the materials employed, the procedural steps taken, and the techniques applied throughout the study, taking into account the diverse climatic conditions prevailing at the experimental site. The documentation of these details has been thorough, encompassing all the variations in climate during the experiment.

Location of the experimental site

Field experiment was conducted during kharif and rabi seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the Research Farm, Raj Mohini Devi College of Agriculture & Research Station, Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh),which is situated at 23˚10 ' N latitude, 83˚15' E longitude with an altitude of 623 meters above mean sea level. Ambikapur falls under Northern Hill Region of Chhattisgarh.

Soil characteristics of the experimental site

Soil acts as the crucial and essential medium for plant growth. Soil fertility and productivity are the major factors for the growth and development of the plant. So, an effort was made to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of soil of the experimental field. To examine the original fertility grade of the field, ten composite soil samples were collected randomly from the experimental site upto 15 cm depth with the help of soil auger before sowing and were analyzed for various physico-chemical properties. and are furnished in Table 1 along with methods employed. The soil of experimental field was sandy-loam in texture known as Inseptisols. The soil was acidic in reaction, medium in organic carbon and low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and high in available potassium.

Results and Discussion

Results

Data pertaining to soil chemical properties viz., pH, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and concentration of micronutrients (zinc, iron, manganese and copper) were analyzed at initial and harvest of mustard crop as influenced by different crop residue and nutrient management practices, and presented in Table 2 to Table 3.

pH

pH of soil was found to be increased in comparison to initial and differed significantly due to various treatments as presented in Table 2, during both the years of investigation as well as in mean.

The organic carbon content of soil increased compared to the initial levels and showed significant variation due to different treatments, as shown in Table 3, over both years of the study and on mean basis.

Available nitrogen in soil differed significantly due to various treatments and found to be increased as compared to initial N levels as presented in Table 3, during both the years of investigation as well as in mean.

Available phosphorus varied significantly from treatmentto-treatment during both the years of investigations and on mean basis (Table 3). It was increased as compared to initial in all of the treatments during both the years and on mean basis.

As per data presented in Table 3, available potassium had significant differences among various treatments. Available potassium in soil was incresed as compared to initial in all the treatments during both the years and on mean basis.

The Zn content in soil increased compared to the initial levels and showed significant variation due to different treatments, as shown in Table 4, over both years of the study and on mean basis.

Fe content in soil differed significantly due to various treatments and found to be increased as compared to initial Fe levels as presented in Table 4, during both the years of investigation as well as in mean.

Mn content of soil varied significantly from treatment-totreatment during both the years of investigation and on mean basis (Table 5). It was increased as compared to initial in all of the treatments during both the years and on mean basis.

As per data presented in Table 4, Cu content of soil had significant differences among various treatments. Also, it was increased as compared to initial in all the treatments.

Discussion on nutrient status of soil

Study reveals that, the overall soil quality including pH, organic carbon content, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and micronutrient (i.e., zinc, iron, manganese and copper) concentration were improved with the treatment crop residue incorporation and microbial consortium spray, comparable to residue incorporation alone and zero-tillage with residue retention and microbial consortium spray. While, conventional tillage proved inferior. The improvement in overall soil quality was observed with residue incorporation and microbial consortium spray, either alone or in combination with zero-tillage, can be attributed to several scientific factors.

In contrast, conventional tillage disrupts soil structure, accelerates organic matter decomposition, and diminishes microbial diversity and activity, leading to reduced nutrient availability and overall soil health degradation over time.

Mitra and Mandal (2012) [7] further stated that the application of organic and inorganic nutrients along with proper moisture conservation practices can enhance the yields maintaining a good soil health. Saha and Ghosh (2013) [4] , Noor et al. (2021) [10] and Pathak et al. (2015) [12] also reported the similar findings. Suryavanshi et al. (2018) [22] similarly found that when no residue was added, conventional tillage reduced soil fertility and productivity than the zero-tillage.

From the study, it was revealed that in terms of soil characteristics after crop harvesting viz., pH, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and micronutrient (i.e., zinc, iron, manganese and copper) concentration treatment 100% RDF showed superior outcome, followed by 100% RDN and P and 50% RDK, while regarding organic carbon content treatment 75 % RDF of NPK + 5 t FYM ha -1 proved to be the best. The superior outcomes observed with 100% RDF in terms of soil characteristics such as pH, nutrient availability (N, P, K) and micronutrient concentrations (zinc, iron, manganese, copper) can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, adequate application of RDF ensures that crops receive optimal amounts of essential nutrients necessary for their growth and development. This balanced nutrient supply promotes healthy root systems and vigorous plant growth, which in turn enhances nutrient uptake efficiency and reduces nutrient losses from the soil. Furthermore, the balanced supply of nutrients supports beneficial soil microbial activity, crucial for nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition, thereby improving soil structure and fertility over time.

Summary and Conclusion

Overall soil quality, including pH, organic carbon content and levels of available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients (zinc, iron, manganese and copper) was improved with the treatment of residue incorporation and microbial consortium spray. These improvements were comparable to those achieved with residue incorporation alone and zero-tillage with residue retention and microbial consortium spray. Further, the treatment with 100% RDF showed the best results regarding pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium availability, and micronutrients concentration, followed by 100% RDN and P and 50% RDK. For organic carbon content, the treatment of 75% RDF of NPK combined with 5 t FYM ha -1 was found to be the most effective.

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