Effect of Sunhemp Green Manuring and Intercropping on Soil Properties

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA), College of Agriculture, Indore during kharif 2017. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) with eight treatments in three replications. The treatments studied were: T1-Soybean + sunhemp (2:1) at 30 cm; T2-Soybean + sunhemp (1:1) at 45 cm; T3-Sole soybean at 45 cm; T4- Maize + Sunhemp (2:1) at 45 cm; T5-Maize + Sunhemp (1:1) at 30 cm; T6-Sole Maize at 60 cm; T7-Soybean + Maize (1:1) at 45 cm and T8-Sole sunhemp at 30 cm. Soybean (JS 95-60) and Maize (K 604 hybrid) were grown as rainfed crops in Kharif 2017 with 20:60:40 and 120:60:40 kg ha-1 recommended dose of N:P2O5:K2O fertilizers, respectively with Sunhemp as a green manure crop. The soil physio-chemical and microbial properties were studied at crop harvest. The results revealed that the green manuring and intercropping of sunhemp with soybean and maize crop improved the soil physical properties. The soil organic carbon found 20-28% higher under green manuring and intercropping. The application of green manure showed 13-15%, 21-36%, 4-5% and 3- 14% higher soil available N, P, K and S after harvest of crops indicating increase in the soil available nutrient status. Similarly, the soil available N, P and K showed 7-13%, 18- 35% and 2-5% increment under green manure intercropping. The treatments also showed significantly higher soil microbial population irrespective of the spacing and type of crop combinations (soybean/maize)