Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen in Relation to Cropping Systems in Central Himalaya, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India
 

In this study, the impact of cropping systems on physicochemical properties of soil and microbial biomass was evaluated. Soil was collected from four cultivated fields (cropland, crop + single tree species, crop + multiple tree species and homegardens) and one uncultivated (agriculturally discarded) field and analysed. The outcome of the present study indicated that cultivated land squandered about 14% C and 5% N in 8 years of cultivation to the nearby uncultivated land. Soil microbial biomass of cultivated land with multiple tree species (C + mT) was greater than other systems and showed an appreciable seasonal variation. The microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) assorted from 166 to 266 μg g–1 and microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic) from 11 to 41 μg g–1. Cmic contributed 1.25–1.90% of soil C and Nmic 0.83– 3.77% of soil N. Among cultivated land, maximum Cmic and Nmic were reported in C + mT system which suggested that tree plantation in cultivated land has significant positive effects on microbial biomass and other soil properties by shifting natural soil properties under the similar environmental circumstances.

Keywords

Cropping Systems, Microbial Biomass, Microbial Activity, Tree Plantation.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Kara, O. and Bolat, I., The effect of different land uses on soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in Bartin province. Turk. J. Agric. For., 2008, 32, 281–288.

  • Jenkinson, D. S. and Lass, J. N., Microbial biomass in soil: measurement and turnover. In Soil Biochemistry (eds Paul, E. A. and Ladd, J. N.), New York, 1981, pp. 415–471.

  • Zaia, F. C., Gama-Rodrigues, A. C., Gama-Rodrigues, E. F., Moc, M. K. S., Fontes, A. G., Machado, R. C. R. and Baligar, V. C., Carbon, nitrogen, organic phosphorus, microbial biomass and N mineralization in soils under cacao agroforestry systems in Bahia, Brazil. Agroforest. Syst., 2012, 86(2), 197–212.

  • Sharma, P., Rai, S. C., Sharma, R. and Sharma, E., Effects of landuse change on soil microbial C, N and P in a Himalayan watershed. Pedobiologia, 2004, 48, 83–92.

  • Yadava, P. S. and Devi, N. B., Seasonal dynamics in soil microbial biomass C, N and P in a mixed-oak forest ecosystem of Manipur, North-East India. Appl. Soil Ecol., 2006, 31, 220–227.

  • Srivastava, S. C. and Singh, J. S., Effect of cultivation on microbial carbon and nitrogen in dry tropical forest soil. Biol. Fertil. Soils, 1989, 8, 343–348.

  • Wakene, N., Assessment of important physicochemical properties of Nitisols under different management systems in Bako area, Western Ethiopia. M Sc thesis, School of Graduate Studies, Alemeya University, Ethiopia, 2001.

  • Zhong, Z. K. and Makeschin, F., Differences of soil microbial biomass and nitrogen transformation under two forest types in central Germany. Plant. Soil, 2006, 283, 287–297.

  • Misra, R., Ecology Workbook, Oxford and IBH Publishing Company, Calcutta, 1968.

  • Walkley, A. and Black, C. A., An experiment of Degtjareff methods for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chronic acid titration methods. Soil Sci., 1934, 37, 29–38.

  • Peach, K. and Tracy, M. V., Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, Springer Verlag, Adelaide, Australia, 1956.

  • Olsen, S. R., Cole, C. V., Watanabe, F. S. and Dean, L. A., Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with sodium bicarbonate, Department of Agriculture Circular, USA, 1954, p. 939.

  • Vance, E. D., Brookes, P. C. and Jenkinson, D. S., Microbial biomass measurements in forest soils: the use of the chloroform fumigation incubation method for strongly acid soils. Soil Biol. Biochem., 1987, 19, 697–702.

  • Brookes, P. C., Kragt, J. F., Powlson, D. S. and Jenkinson, D. S., Chloroform fumigation and release of soil nitrogen: the effect of fumigation time and temperature. Soil Biol. Biochem., 1985, 17, 831–835.

  • Abad, J. R. S., Khosravi, H. and Alamdarlou, E. H., Assessment the effects of land use changes on soil physicochemical properties in Jafarabad of Golestan province, Iran. Bull. Env. Pharmacol. Life. Sci., 2014, 3(3), 296–300.

  • Mulugeta, L., Effects of land use changes on soil quality and native flora degradation and restoration in the highlands of Ethiopia: Implication for sustainable land management. Ph D thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 2004.

  • Kizilkaya, R. and Dengiz, O., Variation of land use and land cover effects on some soil physico-chemical characteristics and soil enzyme activity. Zemdirbyste, 2010, 97(2), 15–24.

  • Shukla, M. K., Lal, R. and Ebinger, M., Determining soil quality indicators by factor analysis. Soil Till. Res., 2006, 87, 194–204.

  • Bargali, K., Manral, V., Padalia, K., Bargali, S. S. and Upadhayay, V. P., Effect of vegetation type and season on microbial biomass carbon in Central Himalayan forest soils, India. Catena, 2018; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.1018.07.001.

  • Baumler, R., Soils. In Nepal: An Introduction to the Natural History, Ecology and Human Environment in the Himalayas – A Comparison to the Flora of Nepal (eds Miehe, Pendry, C. A.), The Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh, 2015, pp. 125–134.

  • Paudel, S. and Sah, J. P., Physico chemical characters of soil in tropical soil (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) forests in eastern Nepal. Himal. J. Sci,, 2003, 1(2), 107–110.

  • Bargali, S. S., Joshi, M. and Bargali, K, Seasonal pattern of total soil respiration in age series of eucalyptus plantation and mixed board-leaved forest in Tarai belt of Kumaun Himalaya. Oecol. Mont., 1992, 2, 7–11.

  • Bargali, S. S., Singh, S. P. and Singh, R. P., Pattern of weight loss and nutrient release in decomposing leaf litter in age series of eucalyptus plantation. Soil Biol. Biochem., 1993, 25, 1731–1738.

  • Powlson, D. S., Brooks, P. C. and Christensen, B. T., Measurement of soil microbial biomass provides an early indication of changes in total soil organic matter due to straw incorporation. Soil Biol. Biochem., 1987, 19, 159–164.

  • Kujur, M. and Patel, A. M., Quantifying the contribution of different soil properties on microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous in dry tropical ecosystem. Int. J. Environ. Sci., 2012, 2, 2272–2284.

  • Wright, A. L. and Reddy, K. R., Phosphorus loading effects on extracellular enzyme activity in Everglades wetland soil. Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J., 2001, 65, 588–595.

  • Bargali, S. S., Shukla, K., Singh, L., Ghosh, L. and Lakhera, M. L., Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in four tree species of dry tropical forest. Trop. Ecol., 2015, 56, 191–200.

  • Li, X., Li, F., Singh, B., Rengelc, Z. and Zhan, Z., Soil management changes organic carbon pools in alpine pastureland soils. Soil Till. Res., 2007, 93, 186–196.

  • Hu, S., Coleman, D. C., Carroll, C. R., Hendrix, P. P. and Beare, M. H., Labile soil carbon pools in subtropical forest and agricultural ecosystems as influenced by management practices and vegetation types. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 1997, 65, 69–78.

  • Chattopadhyay, T., Reza, S. K., Nath, D. J., Baruah, U. and Sarkar, D., Effect of land use on soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen content in the soils of Jorhat district, Assam. Agropedology, 2012, 22(2), 119–122.

  • Ekblad, A. and Nordgren, A., Is growth of soil microorganisms in boreal forests limited by carbon or nitrogen availability? Plant Soil, 2002, 242, 115–122.

  • Logah, V., Safo, E. Y., Quansah, C. and Danso, I., Soil microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics under different amendments and cropping systems in the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana. West Afr. J. Appl. Ecol., 2010, 17, 121–133.

  • Oyedele, A. O., Olayungbo, A. A., Denton, O. A., Ogunrewo, O. M. and Momodu, F. O., Assessment of the microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in relation to physico-chemical properties of Acric Luvisols in Ibadan South West, Nigeria. J. Agric. Environ. Int. Develop., 2015, 109(2), 179–187.

  • Moore, J. M., Klose, S. and Tabatabai, M. A., Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen as affected by cropping systems. Biol. Fertil. Soils, 2000, 31(3), 200–210.

  • Campbell, C. A., Biederbeck, V. O., Zentner, R. P. and Lafond, G. P., Effect of crop rotations and cultural practices on soil organic matter, microbial biomass and respiration in a thin black Chernozem. Can. J. Soil. Sci., 1991, 71, 363–376.

  • Bai, J. H., Ouyang, H., Deng, W., Zhu, Y. M., Zhang, X. L. and Wang, Q. G., Spatial distribution characteristics of organic matter and total nitrogen of marsh soils in river marginal wetlands. Geoderma, 2005, 124, 181–192.

  • Patel, K., Kumar, J., Kumar, R. N. and Kumar, B., Seasonal and temporal variation in soil microbial biomass C, N and P indifferent types land uses of dry deciduous forest ecosystem of Udaipur, Rajasthan, Western India. Appl. Ecol. Environ. Res., 2010, 8, 377– 390.

  • Diaz-Ravina, M., Acea, M. J. and Carballas, T., Seasonal changes in microbial biomass and nutrient flush in forest soils. Biol. Fertil. Soils, 1995, 19, 220–226.


Abstract Views: 344

PDF Views: 121




  • Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen in Relation to Cropping Systems in Central Himalaya, India

Abstract Views: 344  |  PDF Views: 121

Authors

Kirtika Padalia
Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India
S. S. Bargali
Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India
Kiran Bargali
Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India
Kapil Khulbe
Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India

Abstract


In this study, the impact of cropping systems on physicochemical properties of soil and microbial biomass was evaluated. Soil was collected from four cultivated fields (cropland, crop + single tree species, crop + multiple tree species and homegardens) and one uncultivated (agriculturally discarded) field and analysed. The outcome of the present study indicated that cultivated land squandered about 14% C and 5% N in 8 years of cultivation to the nearby uncultivated land. Soil microbial biomass of cultivated land with multiple tree species (C + mT) was greater than other systems and showed an appreciable seasonal variation. The microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) assorted from 166 to 266 μg g–1 and microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic) from 11 to 41 μg g–1. Cmic contributed 1.25–1.90% of soil C and Nmic 0.83– 3.77% of soil N. Among cultivated land, maximum Cmic and Nmic were reported in C + mT system which suggested that tree plantation in cultivated land has significant positive effects on microbial biomass and other soil properties by shifting natural soil properties under the similar environmental circumstances.

Keywords


Cropping Systems, Microbial Biomass, Microbial Activity, Tree Plantation.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv115%2Fi9%2F1741-1750