Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences 1(2): 181-183, 2005

© 2005, INSInet Publication

Biological Properties of Soil as Influenced by Different Organic Manures

P. Kannan, A. Saravanan, S. Krishnakumar and S.K. Natarajan

Department of Soils and Environment, Agricultural College and Research Institute,

Madurai – 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted during December - May (2003-2004) with tomato (Lycopersicon
esculentum. Mill) Var, PKM 1 as a test crop in Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to study
the influence of different organic N sources viz, FYM, Vermicompost and coir pith compost with bioferilizers
on the soil physical properties, nutrient availability and biological properties. Based on N content of the organic
N sources on dry weight basis, the quantity required for the substitution of recommended doses at 50, 75 and
100 per cent level worked out and applied along with 2 kg azospirillum. Application different organics with
azospirillum favorably influence the soil physical, chemical and biological environment such as bulk density,
water holding capacity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, beneficial bacterial and fungal population over the
inorganics alone applied plot. Among the different organic N sources the application 75 per cent Vermicompost
with azospirillum was found to be superior in improving soil health over the other treatments. The above finding
revealed that organic farming would able to sustain the soil fertility for a longer period by meeting the demands
of present and future generation.

Key words: Vermicompost, azospirillum

INTRODUCTION the farmers. Organic farming is a method of farming which

avoids or largely excludes the use of harmful chemicals
Organic farming is not a destination to reach, but it is such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and
a journey to a mission. It is one among the ways to use of natural resources such as organic matter, minerals
maintain soil health. The post era of green revolution has and microbes to maintain the environment clean,
led to environmental pollution due to excessive use of ecological balance and to provide stability to the
agrochemicals and fertilizers and thus threatened the production level with out polluting soil, water and air.
fragile ecosystem. Organic farming conserves soil fertility Organic farming system rely on large scale application of
and contains soil erosion through implementation of animal wastes or FYM, compost, crop rotation, crop
appropriate conservation principles. Organic farming residues, green manure, vermicompost, biofertilizers
leads to live in harmony with nature. Though organic VAM, bio pesticides and biological control.
agriculture is the key to a sound development and a Materials and methods
sustainable environment. Indian farmers who are basically A field experiment was laid out during January – May
an organic farmer, has for past 3 decades adopted to the 2004 with tomato PKM1 (Lycopersicon esculentum. Mill)
green revolution technology also known as exploit as a test crop in Agricultural College and Research
agriculture. Characterized by the use of high yielding Institute orchard, Madurai. The bulk soil sample (0-15 cm)
varieties, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which has led of sandy loam (udic haplustalf) was collected from the
to a large increase in yield and has enabled India to experimental area. The soil sample was air-dried and
become self sufficient in food grains. The increase in ground to pass through 2mm sieve and used for initial soil
productivity also increased the use of chemical fertilizers sample analysis. The result of initial soil sample was
and chemical pesticides causing serious damage to showed in table 1. Organic sources used in this studies
environment and soil health. are FYM, Coir pith compost, Vermicompost and
Therefore to make organic farming successful, it is Azospirillum. Treatments consisted of three types of
essential that ecofriendly technologies, which can organic sources with three levels (50,75 and 100 per cent)
maintain soil health and increase the agricultural and azospirillum2 kgha-1 was included in 50 and 75 per
productivity, have to be developed and made available to cent level in all combination and absolute control with out

Corresponding Author: S. Krishnakumar, Department of Soils and Environment, Agricultural College and Research Institute,
Madurai – 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India.

181
 Res. J. Agric. & Biol. Sci. 1(2): 181-183, 2005

Table 1: Physico-chemical properties of initial soil properties and microbial population and the same soil
Particulars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sample was air-dried and used for estimation of organic
Physical properties carbon, macronutrients, and micronutrients status of soil.
A. Mechanical composition The plant samples collected were oven dried at 60° C and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ground in a Willy mill using stain less steel grinder, used
i) Clay (%) 14.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- for chemical analysis. Biometric observations such as
ii) Silt (%) 23.8 plant height and number of branches were measured and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the yield of fruits per plant was recorded in five days
iii) Fine sand (%) 15.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- interval and then this was converted in to hectare field.
iv) Coarse sand (%) 44.5 Results and Discussion
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application of different organic N sources had
v) Textural Class Sandy loam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- significantly influenced the physical properties of soil
B. Physical properties over the in organic fertilizers. Among the different
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Bulk density (Mg m-3) 1.42
organic N sources, application of 100 per cent N
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- through FYM, conspicuously reduced the bulk density
2. Particle density (Mg m-3) 2.81 (1.26 Mg m-3) of 11 per cent over the 100 per cent N as
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Water holding capacity (%) 35.8
urea (1.42 Mg m-3) which was on par with 100 per cent coir
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pith and vermicompost. Among the different levels,
4. Pore space (%) 51.7 application of 100 per cent N as organic significantly
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. Physicochemical properties
reduced the bulk density due to the improvement of soil
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- aggregation and structure which directly influence the
25. CEC (Cmol(p+) kg-1) 18.2 bulk density of the soil[1]. Water holding capacity (48.6%)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26. pH 7.7
was favourably increased 36 per cent with the application
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- of 100 per cent N through vermicompost (T4) over
27. EC (dSm-1) 0.23 inorganic and the control. The highest water holding
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. Chemical properties
capacity in the vermicompost applied as 100 per cent N
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- applied plot. It was attributed to their higher pore space,
1. Available N (kg ha-1) 230 low bulk density and favourable soil structure[2].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Available P (kg ha-1) 32
Addition of organic sources such as vermicompost,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- coir pith compost and FYM improved chemical fertility of
3. Available K (kg ha-1) 320 soil. Application of different organic N sources had
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Exchangeable Ca (cmol(p+) kg-1) 4.3 significantly increased the nutrient availability. Among
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the different organic sources, application of 75 per cent
5. Exchangeable Mg (cmol(p+) kg-1) 2.4 vermicompost with azospirillum (T7) recorded maximum
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Available Zn (ppm) 1.3 organic carbon (0.78%) over the inorganic, which was on
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- par with 75 per cent coir pith compost with azospirillum
7. Available Cu (ppm) 1.9 (T8). It might be due to higher humus content of
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Available Mn (ppm) 0.8 vermicompost resulted from decomposition besides,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- azospirillum supply nitrogen during initial period of
9. Available Fe (ppm) 2.3 decomposition to avoid the immobilization caused by
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Organic carbon (%) 0.54 microbes[3].
Available N, was significantly increased due to the
organic and in organics and another control with 100 per different organic N sources, application of 75 per cent
cent urea. The experiment was conducted by adopting vermicompost with azospirillum recorded highest
FRBD with three replications. Based on N content of the available N of 254 kg ha-1 over the 100 per cent N as urea
organic N sources on dry weight basis, the quality (242 kg ha-1). This could be attributed to the lower C: N
required for the substitution of recommended doses of 50, ratio of vermicompost, which resulted in faster
75 and 100 per cent levels worked out and applied decomposition and release of nutrients as compared to
conjoint with and with out 2 kg ha-1 azospirillum. FYM and coir pith compost. Further, azospirillum 2 kg ha-1
The soil and plant sample were collected at three increased the available nitrogen through fixation[4,5].
stages (30,60 and 90 DATrespectively). The collected soil Generally, the organic manure application had
samples were used for determination soil physical conspicuously increased the microbial population.

182
 Res. J. Agric. & Biol. Sci. 1(2): 181-183, 2005

Table 2: Effect of different organics on soil health

Treatments Physical propriety Chemical propriety Biological propriety
----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- -----------------------------------
Bulk density WHC % Organic Available Bacteria Fungi
Mg/m-3 carbon % Nitrogen kg/ha CFU g-1 CFU g-1
T1 -Control 1.42 35.8 0.28 191 55 6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T2 – 100 percent N as urea 1.42 35.7 0.30 242 68 9
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T3 –100 percent N as FYM 1.26 42.8 0.70 236 277 12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T4 – 100 percent N as vermicompost 1.27 48.6 0.73 243 288 17
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T5 – 100 percent N as coir pith compost 1.26 44.5 0.71 237 230 16
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T6 – 75 per cent N as FYM with azospirillum 1.29 42.7 0.74 247 233 17
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T7 - 75 per cent N as vermicompost with azospirillum 1.32 44.1 0.78 253 393 28
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T8 - 75 per cent N as coir pith compost with azospirillum 1.30 43.2 0.76 249 308 19
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T9
- 50 per cent N as FYM with azospirillum 1.37 39.0 0.60 220 150 13
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T10 –
50 per cent N as vermicompost with azospirillum 1.36 39.4 0.63 225 159 14
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T11 -
50 per cent N as coirpith compost with azospirillum 1.37 39.5 0.62 221 125 12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SED 0.017 1.3 0.01 1.3 5.4 1.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CD (P=0.05) 0.04 2.7 0.02 2.6 11 2.0

Application of different organic N sources had 2. Logsdon, S.D. and D.R. Linden, 1992. Interactions of
significantly varied in their microbial build of soil .the earthworms with soil physical conditions influencing
highest bacterial population was associated with the plant growth. Soil Sci., 154 : 330-337.
application of 75 per cent N as Vermicompost with 3. Badale, S.B. and S.D. More, 2000. Soil organic
azospirillum (393 CFUg-1). Which was five times higher carbon status as influenced by organic and inorganic
than the 100 per cent urea (68 CFUg-1 ) received plot and nutrient sources in Vertisol. J. Maharashtra Agrl.
fungal population also maximum with 75 per cent Universities, 25 (2) : 220-22.
vermicompost with azospirillum (71 CFUg-1) over the 4. Balaji, S.K., 1994. Effect of vermicompost on growth
inorganic (26 CFUg-1). This may be attributed to the and flower yield of China aster (Casllistephus
Vermicompost containing higher amount of growth chinensis). M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis, UAS, Dharwad.
promoting substances, vitamins, and enzymes, which in 5. Venkatesh, S., 1995. Effect of vermiculture on soil
turn increased the microbial population and the addition composition, growth yield and quality of Thompson
azospirillum increased the root biomass production, which seedless grapes (Virtis vinifera) M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis,
resulted in higher production of root exudates increasing UAS, Dharwad.
the beneficial bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes 6. Gunadi, B., C. Blount and C.A. Edwards, 1999. The
population in rhizosphere region[6 & 7]. growth and fecundity of Eisenia fetida (Savigny) in
Considering the salient findings in perspective, cattle solids pre-composted for different periods.
organic farming favourably influenced the soil physical, Pedobiologia., 46 (1) : 15-33.
chemical and biological fertility over the inorganic, which 7. Masciandaro, G., B. Ceccanti, V. Ronchi and C.
in turn paved way for better crop yield and quality. Bauer, 2000. Kinetci parameters of dehydrogenase
and inorganic fertilizers. Biol. Fertil. Soils, 32 (6):
REFERENCES 579-587.

1. Jegadeswari, P.V., 1997. Effect of manure – fertilizer

schedules on the properties and fertility status of soil
under rice monoculture. M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis. TNAU,
Coimbatore.

183