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Stocks and quality of soil organic matter under different land use systems in East Khasi hills of Meghalaya

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Title Stocks and quality of soil organic matter under different land use systems in East Khasi hills of Meghalaya
Ph D
 
Creator RAMESH T.
 
Contributor K. M. Manjaiah
 
Subject Land use systems, MWD, soil fertility, microbial biomass, Meghalaya
 
Description T-8732
Land conversion from fallow to agroforestry (AF), horticulture fruit trees plantation and
agriculture crop cultivation in general resulted in higher soil organic carbon, available nitrogen (N),
phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content. Amongst the land use systems, AF land use recorded
maximum values for all these parameters compared to horticulture and agriculture land uses. The
decline in soil organic carbon, available N and K content in the soils of cultivated land was to the
extent of 30.4, 17.8 and 17.2%, respectively as compared to the AF lands and 1.8, 13.9 and 22.1%,
respectively as compared to horticulture tree species. Soil bulk density, moisture content and mean
weight diameter (MWD) and other soil chemical properties studied were significantly affected by land
uses (P ≤ 0.05 and/or P ≤ 0.01). Soil moisture and MWD values were highest under AF plantation
(28.3 g 100g-1 and 2.08 mm, respectively) except soil bulk density which was at lowest level (1.22 Mg
m-3). In contrast, soil pH, available P and exchangeable Mg in AF land use; moisture content and
available P in horticulture land use were not significantly (P > 0.05) different. Highest average mean
values of exchangeable Ca (2.31 meq 100g-1), exchangeable Mg (1.01 meq 100g-1) and available P
(20.3 kg ha-1) and sulphur (3.83 kg ha-1) were observed under the horticulture land compared to the
other two land uses. With respect to all the attributes studied except soil pH, the values were highest
in AF land use and lowest in agriculture land use. Furthermore, considering the soil depths, higher
mean values of organic carbon (1.91 g 100g-1), available N (446.0 kg ha-1), P (35.14 kg ha-1), K (325.7
kg ha-1), S (4.05 kg ha-1), exchangeable Ca (2.65 meq 100g-1), and Mg (1.07 meq 100g-1) were
recorded in the surface ( 0-15 cm) soil layer than in the subsurface (15-75 cm) soil layers. In
dissimilarity with the above observation, soil bulk density was highest in the subsurface soil layers
(1.42 g cm-3) compared to the surface soil layer (1.22 g cm-3). Soil microbial biomass concentration
was maximum under AF tree plantation (425.1 mg kg-1) and lowest in agriculture land use (272.9 mg
kg-1). Correlations showed that soil pH was positively and significantly correlated with basic cations
such as K, Ca and Mg whereas; it had negative and significant correlation with micronutrient cations
(Fe and Mn). Soil organic carbon showed positive and significant correlation with available N, Fe and
Mn, MWD and soil MBC whereas, as expected, it showed negative and significant relation with soil
Cu. The correlation between SOC with available P and soil P with Fe and Mn was not significant.
 
Date 2016-09-01T19:03:03Z
2016-09-01T19:03:03Z
2012
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/75028
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher IARI, SOIL SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY