Studies on physico-chemical properties of a Vertisol as influenced by land use practices

Study was conducted to evaluate the vertical variations in physico-chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity and soil organic carbon) of a Vertisol as influenced by land use practices after harvest of kharif and rabi seasons of 2015-16. Soil samples were collected from the fields practiced with different land uses [L1: Uncultivated, L2: rice-wheat system with conventional agriculture (CS), L3: rice-wheat system with conservation agriculture (CA), L4: soybean-wheat system with CS, L5: soybean-wheat system with CA, L6: maize -wheat system with CS and L7: maize-wheat system with CA] at Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) Research Farm, Lakhnwara, Jabalpur (M.P). For statistical analysis of data in split plot design land use practices were considered as main plot and depth (0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15-30 cm) as sub-plot treatments with three replications. It was found that pH and EC in surface (0-5 and 5-15 cm) and sub-surface (15-30 cm) soil were did not altered significantly due to different land use practices. Values of pH and EC were higher in post rabi season soil samples as compare to those of post kharif season in respective treatments of land use and depth. However, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic carbon (OC) content in soil were significantly affected by land use practices and depth of soil. Highest value of CEC (40.8 Cmol (P+) kg-1) and OC (8.16 g kg-1) were obtained in L2 and L3 treatments, respectively. Also the CEC and OC in surface soil were higher than sub-surface soil. Study showed that conservation agriculture in all the cropping systems had favourable impact on soil properties as compared to conventional system.