Effect of Vermicompost and Inorganic Fertilizer on Physico-chemical Properties of Soil on Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
Raksha Raj *
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Narendra Swaroop
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Tarence Thomas
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Satya Ranjan Mohanta
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Naini Agricultural Institute (NAI), Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Ashima Thomas
Department of Agro-food Sciences and Technology, University of Bologna, Italy.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Keeping this in view on experiment is present with the following objective:
To evaluate the effect of different doses of vermicompost with NPK on physico-chemical properties of soil.
The soil of experimental area falls in order Inceptisol and soil texture was sandy loam (sand % 62.65, silt % 21.09 and clay % 16.26). The design applied for statistical analysis was carried out with randomized block design with three levels of @NPK 0, 50, and 100% ha-1 and three levels of @Vermicopost 0, 50 and 100% ha-1 respectively. The best treatment was effect on physical and chemical property of soil T9 (@100%NPK+ 100% Vermicompost) and yield Attributes T9 (@100%NPK+ 100% Vermicompost) of cowpea. The largest percentages of pore space (%) with depths of 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm, 46.22% and 45.39%, water holding capacity (%) of 42.28% and 43.34%, and organic carbon (%) of 0.40% and 0.38% were found in the post-harvest soil and pre- harvest plant. There were 299.43 kg ha-1 and 293.36 kg ha-1 of available nitrogen, 22.34 kg ha-1 and 21.67 kg ha-1 of available phosphorus, and 179.84 kg ha-1 and 176.43 kg ha-1 of available potassium. The combination of T9-(@100%NPK+100% Vermicompost) demonstrated non-significant differences in particle density (Mg m-3) of 2.45 and 2.47 Mg m-3, pH of 6.89 and 6.91, and EC(dS m- 1) in bulk density (Mg m-3) with depth 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm, which was 1.40 and 1.41 Mg m-3, particle density (Mg m-3) was 2.45 and 2.47 Mg m-3 pH was 6.89 and 6.91 and EC(dS m-1) 0.46 dS m-1 and 0.50 dS m-1.
Keywords: Soil nutrients, vermicompost, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and cowpea