Abstract
Rice-wheat cropping systems of the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) occupying 12 million ha of productive land are important for the food security of South Asia. There are, however, concerns that yield and factor productivity trends in these systems are declining/stagnating in recent years. Decrease in soil organic carbon is often suggested as a reason for such trends. A field experiment was conducted to study the soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) dynamics in the rice-wheat systems. Use of organic amendments and puddling of soil before rice transplanting increased SOC and MBC contents. Microbial biomass carbon showed a seasonal pattern. It was low initially, reached its peak during the flowering stages in both rice and wheat and declined thereafter. Microbial biomass carbon was linearly related to SOC in both rice and wheat indicating that SOC could be used as a proxy for MBC.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aggarwal, P. K., Bandyopadhyay, S. K., Pathak, H., Kalra, N., Chander, S. and Sujith, K. S.: 2000, ‘Analyses of yield trends of the rice-wheat system in north-western India’, Outlook Agric. 29, 259–268.
Allmaras, R. R., Schomberg, H. H., Douglas, C. L., Jr. and Dao, T. H.: 1999, ‘Conservation tillage's unforeseen advantage’, Res. Eng. Technol. Sustain. World 6, 7–8.
Anderson, T. H. and Domsch, K. H.: 1989, ‘Ratios of microbial biomass carbon to total organic carbon in arable soils’, Soil Biol. Biochem. 21, 471–479.
Dick, W. A., Durkalaski, J. T., Lal, R., Kimble, J. M., Follett, R. F. and Stewart, B. A.: 1998, ‘No-tillage production agriculture and carbon sequestration in a typic Fragiudalf soil of Northeastern Ohio’, in: R. Lal, J. M. Kimble, R. F. Follett and B. A. Stewart (eds), Management of Carbon Sequeatration in Soil. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 59–71.
Duxbury, J. M., Abrol, I. P., Gupta, R. K. and Bronson, K. F.: 2000, ‘Analysis of long-term soil fertility experiments with rice-wheat rotations in south Asia’, in: I. P. Abrol, K. F. Bronson, J. M. Duxbury and R. K. Gupta (eds), Long-Term Soil Fertility Experiments with Rice-Wheat Rotations in South Asia. Rice-wheat Consortium paper series No. 6. Rice-wheat consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains, New Delhi. p. 7–22.
Friedel, J. K., Munch, J. C. and Fischer, W. R.: 1996, ‘Soil microbial proper-ties and the assessment of available soil organic matter in a haplic luvisol after several years of different cultivation and crop rotation’, Soil Biol Biochem. 28, 479–488.
Gajri, P. R. and Majumdar, S.P.: 2002, ‘Tillage’, in: G. S. Shekhon et al. (ed), Fundamentals of Soil Science. ISSS. pp. 125–132.
Gunapala, N. and Scow, K.M.: 1998, ‘Dynamics of soil microbial biomass and activity in conventional and organic farming systems’, Soil Biol. Biochem. 30(6), 805–816.
Halvorson, A. D., Reule, C. A. and Follett, R. F.: 1999, ‘Nitrogen fertilization effects on soil carbon and nitrogen in a dryland cropping system’, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 63, 912–917.
Hossain, A. K. M. A., Raison, R. J. and Khanna, P. K.: 1995, ‘Effects of fertilizer application and fire regime on soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and nitrogen mineralization in an Australian subalpine eucalpyt forest’, Biol. Fert. Soil 19(2/3), 246–252.
Jenkinson, D. S. and Ladd, J. N.: 1981, ‘Microbial biomass in soil: Measurement and turnover’, in: E. A. Paul and J. N. Ladd (eds), Soil Biochemistry, Vol. 5. Decker, New York, pp. 415–417.
Ladha, J. K., Dawe, D., Pathak, H., Padre, A. T., Yadav, R. L., Bijay-Singh. Yadvinder Singh, Singh, Y., Singh, P., Kundu, A. L., Sakal, R., Ram, N., Regmi, A. P., Gami, S. K., Bhandari, A. L., Amin, R., Yadav, C. R., Bhattarai, E. M., Das, S., Aggarwal, H. P., Gupta, R. K. and Hobbs, P. R.: 2003a, ‘How extensive are yield declines in long-term rice-wheat experiments in Asia?’, Field Crops Res. 81, 159–180.
Ladha, J. K., Pathak, H., Padre, A. T., Dawe, D. and Gupta, R. K.: 2003b, ‘Productivity trends in intensive rice-wheat cropping systems in Asia’, in: J. K. Ladha, J. E. Hill, J. M. Duxbury, Raj, K. Gupta and R. J. Buresh (eds), Improving the Productivity and Sustainability of Rice-Wheat Systems: Issues and Impacts. ASA Special Publication 65, ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, USA. pp. 45–76.
Lal, R.: 1999, ‘Soil management and restoration for carbon sequestration to mitigate the accelerated greenhouse effect’, Prog. Env. Sci. 1, 307–326.
Leita, L., Nobili, M.de., Mondini, C., Muhlbachove, G., Mardinol, L., Sragato, G. and Contin, M.: 1999, ‘Influence of inorganic and organic fertilization on soil microbial biomass, metabolic quotient and heavy metal bioavailability’, Biol. Fert. Soils 28, 371–376.
Page, A. L., Miller, R. H. and Keeney, D. R.: 1982, ‘Methods of soil analysis. Part 2, Chemical and microbiological properties’, 2nd ed., pp. 1159, Agronomy No. 9, ASA-SSSA, Madison, WI, USA.
Pathak, H., Ladha, J. K., Aggarwal, P. K., Peng, S., Das, S., Yadvinder Singh, Bijay-Singh, Kamra, S. K., Mishra, B., Sastri, A. S. R. A. S., Aggarwal, H. P., Das, D. K. and Gupta, R. K.: 2003, ‘Climatic potential and on-farm yield trends of rice and wheat in the Indo – Gangetic plains’, Field Crops. Res. 80(3), 223–234.
Pathak, H., Singh, R., Bhatia, A. and Jain, N.: 2004, ‘Recycling of rice straw to improve crop yield and soil fertility and reduce atmospheric pollution’, in Proc. of the Conference Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Rice-Based Production Systems. Torino, Italy, 13–15 September, pp. 477–483
Powlson, D. S., Brookes, P. C. and Christensen, B. T.: 1987, ‘Measurement of soil microbial biomass provides an early indication of changes in total soil organic matter due to straw incorporation’, Soil Biol. Biochem 19, 159–164.
Rasmussen, P. E. and Rohde, C. R.: 1988, ‘Long-term tillage and nitrogen fertilization effects on organic nitrogen and carbon in a semiarid soil’, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52, 1114–1117.
Rekhi, R. S., Benbi, D. K. and Singh, B.: 2000, ‘Effect of fertilizers and organic manures on crop yields and soil properties in rice-wheat cropping system’, in: I. P. Abrol, K. F. Bronson, J. M. Duxbury and R. K. Gupta (eds), Long-Term Soil Fertility Experiments in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems. RWC Research Series No. 6. New Delhi. pp. 1–6.
Roger, P. A.: 1996, ‘Biology and management of floodwater ecosystem in the rice fields’, International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines and ORSTOM.
Samra, J. S., Bijay-Singh and Kumar, K.: 2003, ‘Managing Crop Residues in the Rice-Wheat System of the Indo-Gangetic Plain’, in: J. K. Ladha et al. (ed), Improving the Productivity and Sustainability of Rice-Wheat Systems: Issues and Impact. ASA Spec. Pub. 65. ASA, Madison, Wis, pp. 173–195.
Schnitzer, M.: 1991, ‘Soil organic matter – the next 75 years’, Soil Sci. 151, 41–58.
Sharma, M. P., Bali, S. V. and Gupta, D. K.: 2001, ‘Soil fertility and productivity of rice (Oryza sativa)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system in an Inceptisol as influenced by integrated nutrient management’, Ind. J. Ag. Sci. 71(2), 82–86.
Sharma, P. K., Ladha, J. K. and Bhushan, L.: 2003, ‘Soil physical effects of puddling in Rice-Wheat cropping systems’, in: Ladha et al. (eds), Improving the Productivity and Sustainability of Rice-Wheat Systems: Issues and Impacts. ASA special publication. IRRI. pp. 97–114.
Sinha, S. K., Singh, G. B. and Rai, M.: 1998, In Decline in Crop Productivity in Haryana and Punjab: Myth or Reality? Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. pp. 89.
Stewart, B. A.: 1993, ‘Managing crop residues for the retention of carbon’, Water Air Soil Polln. 70, 373–380.
Tullberg, J. N., Ziebarth, P. J. and Li, Y.: 2001, ‘Tillage and traffic effects on runoff’, Australian J. Soil Research. 39, 249–257.
Witt, C., Gaunt, J. L., Galicia, C. C., Ottow, J. C. G. and Neue, H. U.: 2000, ‘A rapid chloroform fumigation extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in flooded rice soils’, Biol. Fert. Soils 30, 510–519.
Yadvinder-Singh, Singh, B. Meelu, O. P. and Khind, C. S.: 2000, ‘Long term effects of organic manuring and crop residues on the productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system of North- West India’, in: I. P. Abrol, K. F. Bronson, J. M. Duxbury and R. K. Gupta (eds), Long-Term Soil Fertility Experiments in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems. RWC Paper series 6, New Delhi, pp. 149–162.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Banerjee, B., Aggarwal, P.K., Pathak, H. et al. Dynamics of Organic Carbon and Microbial Biomass in Alluvial Soil With Tillage and Amendments in Rice-wheat Systems. Environ Monit Assess 119, 173–189 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9021-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9021-8