Effect of continuous use of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties in a rice-rice cropping system on Inceptisols

One of the key factors influencing agricultural productivity is soil fertility, which is often increased by applying minerals, primarily in the form of inorganic and organic fertilizers. The physico-chemical properties of the soil, which creates suitable environment for the availability and uptake of these nutrients, is generally ignored. In order to study the effect of continuous application of manures and fertilizers on soil physico-chemical properties under rice-rice cropping system, a AICRP on LTFE-field experiment was conducted since 2000-01 at Regional Agriculture Research Station of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University at Jagtial with 8 treatments involving combinations of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients and three replications laid under Randomized Block Design, were collected, processed and analyzed for different soil physicochemical properties viz. pH, EC, calcium carbonate and OC properties during rabi, 2023-24. To study the effect of varied fertilization practices in the long run which help in assessing the soil health status. Results showed that over 23 years of continuous use of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soils physico-chemical properties did not vary significantly (pH and EC) among different treatments except calcium carbonate and organic carbon content. The pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium carbonate and organic carbon ranged from 7.94 to 8.08, 0.57 to 0.64 dSm-1, 5.09 to 6.52 percent and 4.2 to 10.5 g kg-1, respectively at surface layer and 8.20 to 8.28, 0.54 to 0.58 dSm-1, 5.24 to 6.47 percent and 3.1 to 6.3 g kg-1 at sub surface layer. As the depth increases the pH and calcium carbonate content increases. While, the EC and organic carbon decreases with increasing in depth.