A new index to assess soil quality and sustainability of wheat-based cropping systems

    Kang, G S and Beri, V and Sidhu, B S and Rupela, O P (2005) A new index to assess soil quality and sustainability of wheat-based cropping systems. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 41 (6). pp. 389-398. ISSN 0178-2762

    [img] PDF - Published Version
    Restricted to ICRISAT users only
    Download (145kB) | Request a copy

    Abstract

    Sustainability index was calculated to assess soil quality under the influence of different fertilizer management practices. It is based on the area of the triangle in which nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soil represented the three vertices of a triangle. Nutrient index reflected the nutrient status of soil and was calculated from the measurements of various soil chemical parameters. Microbial index was calculated by determining various soil microbial and biochemical activities and crop index by measuring of crop yield parameters. Eighteen soil indicators were determined to assess nutrient index, microbial index and crop index in order to compare the effect of different sources of nutrients such as green manure, farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer in a rice/corn-wheat rotation. The indices were applied to assess the sustainability of five field experiments with respect to the different fertilizer treatments. The long-term application of organic manures in rice/corn-wheat cropping system increased the index value because it increased the nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soils. The use of only chemical fertilizers in the rice-wheat cropping system resulted in poor soil microbial index and crop index. In corn-wheat system, additional application of FYM at 10 t ha-1 before sowing corn made the system more sustainable than application of 100% NPK; the sustainability index values were 2.43 (the highest for this system) and 0.93, respectively

    Item Type: Article
    Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
    CRP: UNSPECIFIED
    Uncontrolled Keywords: Soil quality . Rice–wheat system . Corn–wheat system . Sustainability index
    Subjects: Others > Soil Science
    Depositing User: Ms K Syamalamba
    Date Deposited: 24 Oct 2011 10:16
    Last Modified: 24 Oct 2011 10:16
    URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/3166
    Official URL: http:\\dx.doi.org\10.1007/s00374-005-0857-4
    Projects: UNSPECIFIED
    Funders: UNSPECIFIED
    Acknowledgement: The first author thanks International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India, for the research scholarship that allowed to carry out the research at ICRISAT. Authors are also thankful to Dr. R.S. Rekhi, Dr.Yadwinder Singh, Dr. B.S. Brar and Dr. A.L. Bhandari, Senior Soil Scientists, Department of Soils, PAU, Ludhiana, for arranging soil samples from different field experiments
    Links:
    View Statistics

    Actions (login required)

    View Item View Item
    OAR@ICRISAT is powered by EPrints 3 which is developed by the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. More information and software credits.