Soil Management and Seasonal Community Structure of Soil Microarthropods in Semi-Arid Tropical AlfisolsM VReddyauthorV RReddyauthorV P KKumarauthorD FYuleauthorA LCogleauthorResponse of the soil microarthropod community was monitored across different soil management treatments with annual and perennial crops in semi-arid tropical Alfisols. Annual crop management treatments included zero, shallow and deep tillage either bare, or with application of 15 t ha" farm-yard manure or 5 t ha" rice-straw. Perennial crop treatments were Stylosanthes hamala, Cenchrus ciliaris and pigeonpea either alone or in combination. Microarthropods, across all the treatments, included Collembola, Acarina, Araneae, Pseudoscorpiones, Pauropods, Symphyla, Diplura, Dermaptera. Psocoptera, Isoptera, Thysanoptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera adults and larvae. The number of Collembola and Acarina together constituted > 62% of the total microarthropods. The population densities of all microarthropods showed a more or less similar pattern of temporal variations under all treatments. They were higher during the rainy season of 1990 and 1991 in bare plots under zero-tillage treatment followed by plots under rice-straw treatment. However, densities during rainy months of 1989 were low compared to those of 1990 because of the high dose of carbofuran treatment. Population densities showed significant treatment differences during some months indicating significant impact of soil management practices on microarthropod community structure.Soil Science1992Conference or Workshop Item