Physico-Chemical Properties of Incessantly Cultivated Rice-Fallow and Uncultivated Soils of Nalbari District, Assam, India | Chapter 4 | Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 3

 

Rice is the major cereal crop of Assam. Continuous cultivation of crops with improper management practices in the long term deteriorates the soil’s physical and chemical properties and declines crop yield. This study aimed to assess the changes in physical and chemical properties of soils due to long-term continuous cultivation of rice under a rice–fallow system and that was compared with adjacent uncultivated soils of Nalbari district of Assam. A total of 120 soil samples, 60 from cultivated rice-fallow and 60 from uncultivated soils, were collected covering 23 villages. Soil physical properties (bulk density; BD, water holding capacity; WHC, and moisture content; MC) and chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity; EC, organic carbon; OC, available N, available P, available K, exchangeable Ca, exchangeable Mg, available S, available Zn and available B) analyzed were evaluated using descriptive statistics. SPSS software (version 16.0) was used to analyse all the collected data. The results indicated that the soils under cultivation with rice-fallow were significantly (P<0.05) higher in BD (1.40 Mg m-3) and lower in WHC (41.34%) than the adjacent uncultivated soils (BD=1.34 Mg m-3 & WHC=42.26%). Findings also showed that soil’s chemical properties were significantly (P<0.05) lower in cultivated rice-fallow soils than the uncultivated soils (pH=5.51 and 5.93, OC=0.63 and 0.89%, available N=245.56 and 418.37 kg ha-1, available P= 31.27 and 42.62 kg ha-1, available K=120.98 and 145.90 kg ha-1, exchangeable Ca=5.35 and 5.93 C mol (p+) kg-1, available S=53.42 and 61.14 kg ha-1, available Zn=0.31 and 0.39 mg kg-1 and available B=0.41 and 0.48 mg kg-1) respectively. Continuous cultivation of crops without adopting proper management practices leads to a decline in soil physical and chemical properties. To sustain soil health and crop productivity, it is crucial to adopt proper soil management strategies such as the balanced use of fertilizers based on soil test values, incorporation of organic manure, and inclusion of legumes in the cropping sequence.

 

Author(s) Details

Manashi Chakravarty
College of Horticulture & FSR, Nalbari, Assam Agricultural University, Assam-781338, India.

 

Utpal Jyoti Sarma
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Baksa, Assam Agricultural University, Assam-781346, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fsarh/v3/5844