Summary
Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of organic mulching on the nutrient status, microbiological properties and the yield of maize and green gram crops. Soil organic carbon and humin and humus carbon of the fallow and the cropped soils were augmented by mulching. More of nitrogen, available phosphorus and ammoniacal and nitrate nitrogen were found in mulched soils. Soil reaction was not affected by mulching. Mulched treatments maintained more of soil moisture and soil temperature lowered during summer and rainy seasons. Population of bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Azotobacter were augmented in mulched treatments at all the stages of sampling. Mulching significantly increased the grain and straw yield of both the crops. The nitrogen uptake by grain was higher in mulched than in the unmulched treatments.
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Gaur, A.C., Mukherjee, D. Recycling of organic matter through mulch in relation to chemical and microbiological properties of soil and crop yields. Plant Soil 56, 273–281 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02205856
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02205856