RESPONSE OF TREATED DISTILLERY EFFLUENT ON SOIL MICROBIAL GROWTH AND ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.) GROWN UNDER VERTISOLS

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the soil microbial growth and enzymatic activity of TreatedDistillery Effluent (TDE) and Bio-compost (BC) applied in Vertisols having clay loam texture grown with Maize crop (Zea mays). Under split plot design with five main and sub plots with addition of organics viz., No organics; application of TDE @ 0.5 lakh litres ha-1 ; TDE @ 1.0 lakh litres ha-1 ; BC@ 5 t ha and FYM @ 12.5 t ha + biofertilizers. subplot treatments viz., addition of inorganic fertilizers at different levels of recommended dose of NP fertilizers (0 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 %) compared with 100% recommended dose of NPK @ 150 : 75: 75 of kg N, P2 ,O5 and K2O ha-1 . Application of TDE 1.0 lakh litres ha resulted higher bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes population over control at all stages. The soil enzyme activities as phosphatase, dehydrogenase andurease recorded the highest values with the application of TDE @ 1.0 lakh litres ha-1 over control. The soilmicrobial population and enzyme activities increased with the application of TDE over control. Soil microbialactivity had a direct impact on the plant nutrient availability as well as other favorable properties associated with soil productivity.