TITLE:
Effect of Application of Vermicompost and Conventional Compost Derived from Different Residues on Pea Crop Production and Soil Faunal Diversity in Agricultural System in Garhwal Himalayas India
AUTHORS:
Tunira Bhadauria, Pradeep Kumar, Rakesh Maikhuri, Krishan Gopal Saxena
KEYWORDS:
Himalayas, Crop-Livestock Mixed Farming, Vermicompost, Conventional Composts, Pea Crop Production, Cropping Pattern, Soil Faunal Diversity
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Science,
Vol.6 No.6,
April
21,
2014
ABSTRACT: Sedentary crop-livestock
mixed farming is the predominant agricultural land use in Central Himalaya
upland and largely rainfed; agrochemicals are not used at all. Farmers focus on
increasing yields with poor soil fertility management practices resulted in
sharp decline in production of pea crop in the study site. Therefore in present
study options are being looked into devising some conservation strategies that
increase yields of pea while reducing harm to soil biodiversity at a local
scale here. The present study explores the efficiency of P. excavatus as endemic earthworm species for vermicomposting, the
potential utilization of Conventional oak based farmyard manure (FM-O); Conventional
pine based farmyard manure(FM-P); Earthworm fed ? Cow dung + oak leaves based vermicompost (VC-O); Earthworm fed ? Cow dung + pine leaves based vermicompost (VC-P); freshly fallen leaf litter
(LM) on pea crop productivity and soil faunal diversity in agricultural system, and if the changed soil faunal
biodiversity scenario in any way affected the crop production. The
higher uptake of nitrogen, higher germination percentage enhanced seedling
growth, early emergence flower, increase number of pods, seed, husk , and root
biomass was significantly higher in plants which received VC-O followed by VC-P
as manure input treatments. The change in the diversity of soil micro
arthropods in relation to quality change in organic
residues input in experimental plots and expressed as the Simpsons diversity index
showed that the diversity of soil fauna is related to improvements in soil
conditions resulting from nutrient manipulations through vermicompost and
conventional compost treatments. This response of soil biota to increased
production most likely represents an increase in the availability of resources
through addition of vermicompost when compared to other compost treatments. Alternatively,
an increase in predators and therefore predation, could, increase the diversity
of its prey, thereby decreasing dominant competitors and reducing the
possibility of competitive exclusion, but this needs further studies.
Chronosequence study during cropping season indicated that the composition and
abundance of soil fauna in agricultural fields changed considerably with time
under cultivation. This technology has now been adopted by the farmers in the
area once again for growing the pea crop.