Physical and hydraulic properties of aridisols as affected by nutrient and crop-residue management in a cotton-wheat system

• DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v35i1.14683
• Publication Date: 2012-12-23T00:42:35Z
• Authors: Muhammad Mahmood-...; Eajaz Rafique; Abdul Rashid
• Keywords: Crop Residue; Nutrient Management; Crop Rotation; Residue (chemistry); Soil Management

A 5-year cotton–wheat rotation field experiment was conducted on two alkaline-calcareous soils to investigate the impact of integrated nutrient-management and crop-residue incorporation soil physical hydrological properties. The nutrient treatments were: T1–farmers' fertilizer use; T2–balanced management (recommended N, P, Zn. B from mineral sources); T3–integrated management, same as T2, except that 75% N applied 25% FYM; T4 every alternate year, wheat substituted by Berseem green manure. All were compared with without crop residue incorporation. Soil organic matter (SOM) content in both significantly increased T3 T1, further where combination recycling. Higher increase SOM observed having relatively lower initial (0.61%) than 0.80% content. Increased content, return, decreased bulk density, improved macro- meso-porosity, enhanced percent recovery stable aggregates correspondingly. Infiltration rates 20, 49 26% higher T4, respectively, over T1 64% removal. Positive impacts properties also sub-soil layers.