RAMA TULASI*, CH. BHARGAVA RAMI REDDY, K.V. NAGA MADHURI, PAVAN KUMAR REDDY AND M.V.S. NAIDU

Department of Soil Science, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517 502.

ABSTRACT

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.