Effect of soil breeding and soil amendments on soil physical properties, rice yield and economics in crusted Alfisol

The impact of soil breeding and soil amendments on soil physical properties, rice yield, and economics under crusted Alfisols (red soil) was investigated in a field experiment at the Agricultural College and Research Insti- tute, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, India. The study was conducted for three consequetive years (2020–2023). There were totally nine treatments, comprising of clay, sand, and manure alone and their combinations and lime were replicated thrise. In the first year of the experiment, the treatments were imposed as per schedule and thoroughly mixed with surface soil. Every year, sunnhemp was raised as the first-season crop and incorporated in-situ at flowering prior to transplanting of rice. The results indicated that application of FYM 12.5 t ha-1+ clay 100.0 t ha-1+ coarse sand 100.0 t ha-1 (T8) recorded highest growth and yield attributes, viz., plant height (94.26 cm), number of productive tillers (16.53), grain yield (3.981 t ha-1 ), and straw yield (5.250 t ha-1 ) of rice and B:C ratio of 1.66. Further, application of FYM 12.5 t ha-1+ clay 100.0 t ha-1+ coarse sand 100.0 t ha-1 reduced soil bulk density (1.31 Mg m-3 ), increase in pore volume (45.40 %), soil infiltration rate (3.62 cm h-1 ) and hydraulic conductivity (3.02 cm h-1 ). However, this was on par with application of FYM 12.5 t ha-1+ clay 50.0 t ha-1+ coarse sand 50.0 t ha-1 (T7).