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Microbial Biomass Carbon Status in Agro-Ecological Sub Regions of Black Soils in India

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Abstract

The present study was undertaken with an objective to study the impact of pedo-edaphic environments, cropping systems, land use, and management practices on the MBC. Soil samples were collected from seventeen benchmark soils representing different agro-ecological sub regions of black soil region of India. The pooled comparisons of MBC in different bio-climates indicated significant differences (p < 0.001) between the bio-climates. Significantly higher (p < 0.001) MBC was recorded in sub-humid dry bio-climate (267 μg g−1) followed by sub-humid moist and least in arid bio-climate (97.5 μg g−1). In cropping systems, legume-based system (205 μg g−1) had higher MBC. The lowest MBC was recorded in cotton-based system (128 μg g−1). In soil sub-groups, Halic Haplusterts showed higher MBC (209 μg g−1) followed by Typic Haplusterts (208 μg g−1), while the lowest MBC was observed in Gypsic Haplusterts (98.5 μg g−1). Significantly higher (p < 0.05) MBC was recorded in high management and irrigated agro-systems as compared with low management and rainfed agro-systems. The MBC content in the soil is significantly and positively correlated with organic carbon %, total culturable microbial population, nitrogen content, and available water content.

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Acknowledgments

This financial grant received from the World Bank sponsored “National Agricultural Innovation Project” (NAIP) (Component-4: Indian Council of Agricultural Research) on “Georeferenced Soil Information System for Land Use Planning and Monitoring Soil and Land Quality for Agriculture” is gratefully acknowledged. The authors are thankful to the Directors, CICR and NBSS and LUP for extending facilities to carry out this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

    Kulandaivelu Velmourougane, M. V. Venugopalan & Apeksha Sahu

  2. National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

    T. Bhattacharyya, Dipak Sarkar, D. K. Pal, P. Chandran, S. K. Ray, Champa Mandal, Jagdish Prasad & Pramod Tiwary

  3. Regional Centre, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    K. M. Nair

  4. Regional Centre, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

    R. S. Singh

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  1. Kulandaivelu Velmourougane
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Velmourougane, K., Venugopalan, M.V., Bhattacharyya, T. et al. Microbial Biomass Carbon Status in Agro-Ecological Sub Regions of Black Soils in India. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 84, 519–529 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-013-0238-y

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