Effects of Varied Cropping Systems on Vertical Distribution of Soil Properties under an Alluvial Soil in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Soil is an extremely complex ecosystem and a highly valuable resource from an anthropocentric perspective.
Adoption of cropping system exerts a tenacious impact on physicochemical properties of soil. However, the
impact varies with climate, soils, and management practices. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of
changes in physicochemical properties of soil is necessary to reduce carbon (C) emissions and adopt
efficient cropping system for sustainable soil management in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh of India. The soils
under seven prominent cropping systems viz. black gram – pea – green gram, kodo / sawan – rye – fallow,
rice – wheat – fallow, green gram – lentil – black gram, fodder crop – oat – fallow, fallow – mustard –
fallow, fallow were sampled from variable depths (0-15, 15-30 and 30-60 cm) to assess the impact of landuse
systems on depth-wise distribution of physicochemical properties. The build-up of organic carbon
(OC), reduction in bulk density (BD), maintenance of porosity and available nutrients were found with the
land-use system C4: Green gram-lentil-black gram followed by C1: Black gram-pea-green gram. All the
surface layers soils exhibited low available nitrogen and phosphorus and medium in available potassium
status. Available sulphur and zinc status were medium in status.