Open AccessInfluence of Plastic Mulching on Soil Moisture, Nutrient and Microbial Biomass in Pineapple Cultivation on Undulating Hilly Areas of Nagaland
Author(s) -
Christy B.K. Sangma,
A. Thirugnanavel,
Pooja Sharma,
G. Rajesha,
Bidyut C. Deka
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
agropedology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0971-1570
DOI - 10.47114/j.agroped.2019.jun8
Subject(s) - mulch , agronomy , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , total organic carbon , soil fertility , water content , sowing , nutrient , field experiment , kharif crop , phosphorus , soil carbon , moisture , soil water , biology , soil science , chemistry , ecology , geotechnical engineering , engineering , organic chemistry
The pineapple var. Kew was planted on black polythene film mulching with double hedgerow planting to find out the influence of mulches on soil and plant. The soil samples were collected twice (kharif and rabi) at two different depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and the pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, basal respiration and soil microbial biomass carbon were analysed. The data revealed that soil organic carbon and available N, P, and K content were slightly higher in the bottom hill than the top hill. The mulched field had higher nutrients than the non-mulched field. The fertility level varied slightly between the seasons. The biological parameters (microbial biomass carbon) were observed to be significantly higher (P≤0.05) in the bottom hill in both the seasons than the non-mulched field. The soil moisture content ranged from 5.9 % in March to 24.24 % August in the bottom hill (15-30 cm depth). The moisture content in the non-mulched field was lower than the mulched field.