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Department of Soil Science, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517 502.
Six prominent cropping systems in scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh viz., groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow-bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems were selected to study the chemical properties of soils. Twenty soil samples from each cropping system were collected at 0-15 cm (surface soil) and 15-30 cm (sub-surface soil) depth. The soils were processed and analysed for their chemical properties. The available nitrogen (206 and 180 kg ha-1) and available phosphorus (63.10 and 43.51 kg ha-1) were highest in paddy-groundnut cropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils, respectively. While the lowest available nitrogen (159 and 130 kg ha-1) and available phosphorus (45.59 and 32.22 kg ha-1) were observed in cotton-fallow cropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils, respectively. The highest available K (216 and 148 mg kg-1) was recorded under paddy-paddy cropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils. However, the lowest available K (122 and 92 mg kg-1) was recorded under groundnut monocropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils.
KEYWORDS: Scarce rainfall zone, Prominent cropping systems, Surface and Sub-surface soils.
Soil is an exhaustible storehouse of plant nutrients. The successful agriculture requires the sustainable use of soil resources, because soil easily lose their quality and quantity within short period of time. Due to increasing population and acquisition of fertile land for urbanization the cultivable land for agriculture land is decreased day by day (Kumar et al., 2023). Therefore, assessment of nutrient constraints of soils being intensively cultivated with high yielding crops need to be carried out (Patil et al., 2016). Scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh faces significant challenges in agricultural productivity due to low and erratic rainfall, leading to soil moisture stress and reduced crop yields. It has been documented very well that dry land soils are not only thirsty but hungry too (Wani, 2008). However, intensive cropping systems and inadequate nutrient management practices have led to soil nutrient depletion, further exacerbating the challenges faced by farmers in these regions. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the major nutrients required by all the crops for their growth (Borkar et al., 2018). Understanding the soil nutrient content at different depths of soil is one of the most important aspects of crop management and information about the soil nutrient status of study area is very important for nutrient management programs (Amgain et al., 2023). Supplement of balanced nutrition is one of the important factors to improve the crop productivity.
The present study was carried out in scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh. Scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh lies in between the northern latitudes of 13040’ to 16018’ and eastern longitudes of 76047’ to 79034’. The geographical area of Scarce rainfall zone 36,788 km2. Out of 40 lakh ha of rainfed area, about 45% area is in scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh. The scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh received total annual rainfall during the year 2023-24 is 201.45 mm. Twenty soil samples at 0-15 cm (surface soil) and 15-30 cm (sub-surface soil) depth from each cropping system were collected from the scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh viz., groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow-bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy- paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems. The collected soil samples were air dried in shade, ground with a wooden hammer, passed through the sieves of 2 mm and used for determination of various soil properties by following standard procedures.
Available nitrogen was determined by alkaline permanganate (0.32% KMnO4) method (Subbiah and Asija, 1956); Available phosphorus was determined by extracting the soil P with 0.5 M NaHCO3 from alkaline soil at pH 8.5. (Olsen et al., 1954); Available potassium was estimated by using neutral-normal-ammonium acetate (NH4OAc, pH 7.0) (Jackson 1973).
The available nitrogen (Table 1) in surface soils varied from 103 kg ha-1 in cotton-fallow cropping system to 286 kg ha-1 in paddy-groundnut cropping system with mean values of 159 and 206 kg ha-1, respectively. The available nitrogen of soils in groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow-bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 125-165, 103- 259, 116-263, 124-276, 111-262 and 127-186 kg ha-1, respectively with mean values of 198, 159, 195, 202, 179 and 206 kg ha-1 respectively. The available nitrogen in surface soils varied from low to medium in status.
In sub-surface soils available nitrogen varied from 75 kg ha-1 in cotton-fallow cropping system to 276 kg ha-1 in paddy-groundnut cropping system with mean values of 130 and 180 kg ha-1, respectively. The available nitrogen of soils in groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow- bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 96-232, 75-206, 88-216, 105-236, 85-212 and 112-276 kg ha-1, respectively with mean values of 161, 130, 151, 164, 140 and 180 kg ha-1, respectively.
The maximum available nitrogen was observed in soils of paddy- groundnut cropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils. The minimum available nitrogen was observed in cotton-fallow cropping system in both the surface and sub-surface soils.
The available nitrogen of soils under paddy- groundnut cropping system and legume-based cropping systems was higher than that of other cropping systems. Several other workers have reported that legumes have the ability to fix and store more atmospheric N through their symbiotic association with rhizobium bacteria resulted more available nitrogen in soils (Kumar et al., 2020).
Regarding depth, available N decreased with increasing depth in all cropping systems. The increase in available nitrogen in surface soil is due to higher quantity of residue additions and their slow decomposition due to less soil disturbance might have caused higher available nitrogen concentrations in the surface layer (Du et al., 2010 and Dikgwatlhe et al., 2014).
The available phosphorous (Table 2) in surface soils ranged from 15.48 kg ha-1 in cotton-fallow cropping system to 80.10 kg ha-1 in paddy-groundnut cropping system with mean values of 45.59 and 63.10 kg ha-1, respectively. The available phosphorus of soils in groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow- bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 32.40-74.26, 15.48-66.85, 25.49-72.45, 34.60-76.93, 25.44-68.43 and 35.67-80.10 kg ha-1, respectively with mean values of 55.42, 45.59, 53.10, 57.27, 49.31 and 63.10 kg ha-1 respectively.
Available phosphorus in sub-surface soils ranged from 12.39 kg ha-1 in cotton-fallow cropping system to
68.23 kg ha-1 in paddy-groundnut cropping system with mean values of 32.22 and 43.51 kg ha-1, respectively. The available phosphorus of soils in groundnut- horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow-bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 17.70-57.64, 12.39- 52.56, 16.54-54.16, 18.42-57.99, 12.83-52.68 and 19.30- 68.23 kg ha-1, respectively with mean values of 38.00, 32.22, 34.61, 40.18, 33.85 and 43.51 kg ha-1, respectively.
The maximum available phosphorus was recorded in soils of paddy-groundnut cropping system and the minimum available phosphorus was recorded in cotton-fallow cropping system in both surface and sub- surface soils. These soils were low to high in available phosphorus.
The available phosphorus of soils under paddy- groundnut cropping system was higher than that of other cropping systems. Crop rotations with legumes, can increase root colonization by mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizal associations have the greatest impact on increasing P availability in soils by colonizing root. This may be also due to higher available N in paddy-groundnut cropping system with BNF causes positive interaction between available N and P. The results are in accordance with the findings of Newton et al. (2011) and Smith et al. (2011).
The data further revealed that the soil available phosphorus decreased with increasing depth in all cropping systems. The increase in available phosphorus in surface soil which might be due to higher residue retention and higher organic carbon content that leads to favourable conditions for increasing nutrient availability
Note: G-H: Groundnut-Horsegram; C-F: Cotton-Fallow; F-B: Fallow-Bengalgram; GM: Groundnut Monocropping; P-P: Paddy-Paddy; P-G: Paddy-Groundnut
at the surface layers (Jat et al., 2018 and Kavitha et al., 2019).
Available Potassium
The available potassium (Table no.3) content of surface soils varied from 73 mg kg-1 in groundnut monocropping system to 289 mg kg-1 in paddy- paddy cropping sytem with mean values of 122 and 216 mg kg-1, respectively. The available potassium of soils in groundnut-horsegram, cotton-fallow, fallow- bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 82-213, 85-278, 98-282, 73-191, 118-289 and 101-284
mg kg-1, respectively with mean values of 141, 168, 170, 122, 216 and 203 mg kg-1, respectively. The available potassium content in surface soils was varied from medium to high in status.
In sub-surface soils available potassium content varied from 58 mg kg-1 in groundnut monocropping system to 244 mg kg-1 in paddy- paddy cropping sytem with mean values of 92 and 148 mg kg-1, respectively. The available potassium of soils in groundnut-horsegram, cotton- fallow, fallow-bengalgram, groundnut monocropping, paddy-paddy and paddy-groundnut cropping systems was ranged from 59-146, 62-184, 70-210, 58-144, 89-
244 and 72-226 mg kg-1, respectively with mean values of 104, 113, 128, 92, 148 and 134 mg kg-1, respectively. The available potassium content in sub-surface soils was varied from medium to high in status.
The highest available potassium was observed in soils of paddy- paddy cropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils due to continuous application of potassic fertilizers. The lowest available potassium was recorded in groundnut monocropping system in both surface and sub-surface soils possibly due to less application of potassic fertilizers than crop needed or imbalanced fertilization in crop nutrition caused mining of its native pools (Charankumar et al., 2022).
The data further revealed that highest available potassium was observed in surface soils than in sub- surface soils in all cropping systems, which might be attributed to presence of vegetation or upward translocation of K from lower layers through capillary rise or ground water. (Lungmuana et al., 2014).
The results of this study indicated that the soils under prominent cropping systems in scarce rainfall zone of Andhra Pradesh were low to medium in available nitrogen,
low to high in available phosphorus and medium to high in available potassium. In both surface and sub-surface soils, the available nitrogen and available phosphorus content in the prominent cropping systems were in the order of paddy-groundnut > groundnut monocropping
The authors are sincerely thankful to the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati, Department of Soil Science, ANGRAU, India for providing infrastructure and financial support.
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