Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T11:07:52.972Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cropping systems: Effects on soil quality indicators and yield of pearl millet in an arid region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

Praveen-Kumar ,
R.K. Aggarwal  and
James F. Power
Praveen-Kumar
Affiliation:
Research Scientist, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342003, India;
R.K. Aggarwal
Affiliation:
Principal Investigator, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342003, India;
James F. Power
Affiliation:
Soil Scientist (retired), USDA-ARS, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583.
Get access

Abstract

While crop rotations improve soil quality indicators and crop yields in humid temperate regions, much less information is available under harsher arid tropical and subtropical conditions. A field experiment conducted from 1990 to 1993 compared the effect of continuous pearl millet and pearl millet-fallow systems with six rotations of pearl millet that included one, two, or three years of a legume (cluster bean or mung bean). Data were collected on several soil quality indicators and pearl millet yield. Continuous pearl millet monoculture for three y ears did not affect soil organic C, NaHCO3-soluble P, DTPA extractable Fe, Cu, Mn, or Zn, or several soil organic N fractions, but slightly increased activity of dehydrogenase and acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. Similar trends were observed for fallow-based cropping systems, except that enzyme activities were lower. Cropping systems containing mung bean or cluster bean improved availability of soil N and other nutrients and increased enzyme activity. These effects increased with number of years of legume. Improvements from cluster bean generally were greater than from mung bean. The lowest pearl milkt yield was obtained with continuous pearl millet and no N, and yields f or fallow-based cropping systems were 13% greater than with continuous pearl millet. Grain yields of pearl millet with two or three years of mung bean in the cropping system were, respectively, 37 and 65% greater than for continuous pearl millet; with cluster bean the corresponding increases were 68 and 101%. Pearl millet yield increased with N applications up to 40 kg/ha under all cropping systems, and up to 60 kg/ha for some cluster bean-based systems. Yield of pearl millet following cluster bean was nearly double that of continuous pearl millet. These results indicate that in hot, dry climates cropping systems that include a legume, especially cluster bean, are more productive, use the limited water supply and fertilizer N more effectively, and improve several soil quality indicators more than do cropping systems without legumes.

Keywords

soil organic N fractionsmicrobial activitysoil fertilityN-use efficiencyrotationsrainfed cropscluster beanmung bean
Type
Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , December 1997 , pp. 178 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Aggarwal, R.K., and Praveen-Kumar, . 1995. Integrated nutrient management in drylands. In Singh, R.P. (ed). Sustainable Development of Dryland Agriculture in India. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur, India, pp. 139–156.Google Scholar
2.Aggarwal, R.K., Praveen-Kumar, , and Power, J.F.. In press. Crop residue and manure impacts on pearl millet yields and soil fertility in an arid tropical region. Soil Tillage Research.Google Scholar
3.Alexander, M., and Clark, F.E.. 1965. Nitrifying bacteria. In Black, C.A. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Agronomy Monographs No. 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 1477–1483.Google Scholar
4.Brawand, H., and Hossner, L.R.. 1976. Nutrient content of sorghum leaves and grain as influenced by long term crop rotation and fertilizer treatment. Agronomy J. 68:277–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Bremner, J.M. 1965a. Total nitrogen. In Black, C.A. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Agronomy Monographs No. 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 1149–1176.Google Scholar
6.Bremner, J.M. 1965b. Inorganic forms of nitrogen. In Black, C.A. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Agronomy Monographs No. 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 1179–1235.Google Scholar
7.Chae, Y.M. 1993. Organic forms of nitrogen. In Carter, M.R. (ed). Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 377–389.Google Scholar
8.Classen, N.M., and Kissel, D.E.. 1984. Rotation with soybeans increases corn and grain sorghum yields. Better Crops Plant Food 68:28–30.Google Scholar
9.Clegg, M.D. 1982. Effect of soybean on yield and nitrogen response of subsequent sorghum crops in Eastern Nebraska. Field Crops Research 5:233–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Domasch, K.H., Jagnow, G., and Anderson, T.H.. 1983. An ecological concept for assessment of side effects of agrochemicals on soil microorganisms. Residue Reviews 86:65–105.Google Scholar
11.Doran, J.W., and Smith, M.S.. 1987. Organic matter management and utilization of soil and fertilizer nutrients. In Follett, R.F., Stewart, J.W.B., and Cole, C.V. (eds). Soil Fertility and Organic Matter as Critical Components of Production Systems. Special Pub. 19. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 53–72.Google Scholar
12.Jackson, M.L. 1967. Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi, India.Google Scholar
13.Klein, D.A., Sorensen, D.L., and Redente, E.F.. 1985. Soil enzymes: A predictor of reclamation potential and progress. In Tate, R.L. and Klein, D.A. (eds). Soil Reclamation Process: Microbiological Analyses and Applications. Marcel Deckker Inc., New York, N.Y. pp. 141–171.Google Scholar
14.Lindsay, W.L., and Norvell, W.A.. 1978. Development of DTPA sou test for zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 42:421–428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Mann, H.S., and Singh, R.P.. 1977. Crop production in Indian arid zone. In Desertification and Its Control. Indian Council of Agric. Res., New Delhi, India, pp. 215–234.Google Scholar
16.Nnadi, L.A., and Balasubramanian, V.. 1978. Root nitrogen content and transformation in selected grain legumes. Tropical Agric. (Trinidad) 55:23–32.Google Scholar
17.Nye, P.H., and Tinker, P.B.. 1977. Solute Movement in Soil Root System. Blackwell Scientific Publishers, Oxford, England, pp. 127–186.Google Scholar
18.Odell, R.T., Walker, W.M., Boone, L.V., and Oldham, M.G.. 1982. The Morrow Plots: A Century of Learning. Bulletin 775. Agric. Exp. Sta., Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Olson, S.R., and Dean, L.A.. 1965. Phosphorus. In Black, C.A. (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Agronomy Monographs No. 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin. pp. 1035–1049.Google Scholar
20.Oswal, M.C., Bakshi, R.K., Kumar, V., and Kumar, S.. 1989. Response of dryland pearl millet to fertilizer under two cropping sequences. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci. 37:337–342.Google Scholar
21.Papendick, R.I., and Parr, J.F.. 1992. Soil quality—the key to a sustainable agriculture. Amer. J. Alternative Agric. 7:2–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Parsons, J.W., and Tinsley, J.. 1975. Nitrogenous substances. In Gieseking, I.E. (ed). Soil Components. Vol. 1. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y. pp. 263–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Rego, T.J. 1992. Long term effects of cropping system rotations on total soil nitrogen and organic carbon and their relevance to sustainability in vertisols. Annual Report. ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India, pp. 45–46.Google Scholar
24.Rego, T.J. 1993. Long term effects of cropping system rotations on crop productivity and soil fertility in the assured rainfall areas. Annual Report. ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India, pp. 51–52.Google Scholar
25.Saxena, A., Singh, D.V., and Joshi, N.L.. 1995. Allelopathic effects on pearl millet in arid regions. National Symposium on Agriculture and Environment. Abstracts. National Inst. of Ecology, New Delhi, India, pp. 23–25.Google Scholar
26.Saxena, A., Singh, D.V., and Joshi, N.L.. 1996. Autotoxic effect of pearl millet aqueous extracts on seed germination and seedling growth. J. Arid Environment 33:255–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Singh, R.P. 1980. Cropping systems for drylands of Indian arid zone. Annals of Arid Zone 19:443–447.Google Scholar
28.Singh, S.D., Bhandari, R.C., and Aggarwal, R.K.. 1985. Long term effects of phosphate fertilizers on soil fertility and yield of pearl millet grown in rotation with grain legume. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 55:274–278.Google Scholar
29.Snedecor, G.W., and Cochran, W.G.. 1967. Statistical Methods. Oxford and IBH Pub. Co., Calcutta, India.Google Scholar
30.Tabatabai, M.A. 1982. Soil enzymes. In Black, C.A. (ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Agronomy Monographs No. 9. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 903–947.Google Scholar
31.Tabatabai, M.A., and Bremner, J.M.. 1969. Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 1:301–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Visser, S., and Parkinson, D.. 1992. Soil biological criteria as indicator of soil quality: Soil microorganisms. Amer. J. Alternative Agric. 7:33–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33.Vyas, N.D., and Desai, J.R.. 1953. Effect of different doses of superphosphate on the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen through pea. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci. 1:32–40.Google Scholar