Combined effect of tillage and organic fertilization on soil quality key indicators and indices in alluvial soils of Indo-Gangetic Plains under rainfed maize–wheat system

Abstract

Inceptisols in the submountainous region of Indo-Gangetic Plains in India are known as low productive areas due to several constraints like decline in soil organic matter and fertility, deterioration of soil physical and biological properties. The present study was conducted with tillage as main treatments and integrated nutrient management as subtreatments to improve soil quality and to identify the key indicators of soil quality after 5 years of experimentation in maize–wheat cropping system at Ballowal Saunkhri. Conventional tillage (CT) + interculture (IC) maintained significantly higher soil quality indices (SQI) of 1.12 which was at par with 50% CT + IC + chemical weed control (CWC) (1.08). Application of nitrogen (N) through 50% (organic) + 50% (inorganic) maintained higher soil quality with SQI of 1.10 followed by application of 100% N through organics (1.08). The results indicated that reduction in the intensity of tillage to 50% with interculture practices and combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers maintained higher soil quality in these degraded Inceptisols. The methods of principal component analysis and computation of SQI adopted will be highly useful to future researchers, land managers, and students at locations across the world having similar climatic and edaphic conditions.