Eight-year Continuous Tillage Practice Impacts Soil Properties and Forms of Potassium under Maize-based Cropping Systems in Inceptisols of Eastern India

ABSTRACT

Intensive conventional tillage practice has deteriorated soil quality and decreased potassium (K) availability in soil under maize-based growing areas in eastern India. Consequently, maize productivity has declined over the years demonstrating the need for sustainable alternatives. A field study was carried out in 2018 in the eighth year of an on-going long-term experiment initiated in the year 2011 to understand the impact of different tillage practices in maize-based cropping systems on soil properties and K dynamics in Inceptisols of eastern India. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three levels of tillage practice as main plots: zero tillage, permanent raised bed and conventional tillage and in subplots as three different cropping systems viz. maize-maize, maize-wheat, and maize-chickpea. The result showed that under tillage practices, soil parameters were improved in zero tillage over the permanent raised bed and conventional tillage and among cropping systems, maize-chickpea had more nutrient availability in compared with maize-maize and maize-wheat. Soil organic carbon was built up by 10.2% in zero tillage over the initial soil measured at the time of the start of the experiment. The maximum content of water-soluble K, exchangeable K, and nonexchangeable K were recorded in zero tillage and maize-chickpea as compared to other tillage practices and cropping systems. Among Q/I parameters, potential buffering capacity (PBC^K) was maximum and activity ratio (AR^K) and labile K (K_L) were minimum under zero tillage and maize-chickpea cropping system than the other tillage practices and cropping systems. Therefore, zero tillage and maize-chickpea could be better practices over the other tillage practices and cropping systems for improving soil quality and K availability in soil.

KEYWORDS:

• Total potassium
• Q/I relationship
• zero tillage
• maize crop

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Vice Chancellor, Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, for providing the necessary facilities, Director Research, BAU, for his support and critical suggestions. Special thanks to the scientists associated with ongoing long-term conservation experiment, BAU, Sabour.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).