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A new index to assess soil quality and sustainability of wheat-based crop** systems

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Abstract

Sustainability index was calculated to assess soil quality under the influence of different fertilizer management practices. It is based on the area of the triangle in which nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soil represented the three vertices of a triangle. Nutrient index reflected the nutrient status of soil and was calculated from the measurements of various soil chemical parameters. Microbial index was calculated by determining various soil microbial and biochemical activities and crop index by measuring of crop yield parameters. Eighteen soil indicators were determined to assess nutrient index, microbial index and crop index in order to compare the effect of different sources of nutrients such as green manure, farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer in a rice/corn–wheat rotation. The indices were applied to assess the sustainability of five field experiments with respect to the different fertilizer treatments. The long-term application of organic manures in rice/corn–wheat crop** system increased the index value because it increased the nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soils. The use of only chemical fertilizers in the rice–wheat crop** system resulted in poor soil microbial index and crop index. In corn–wheat system, additional application of FYM at 10 t ha−1 before sowing corn made the system more sustainable than application of 100%NPK; the sustainability index values were 2.43 (the highest for this system) and 0.93, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The first author thanks International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India, for the research scholarship that allowed to carry out the research at ICRISAT. Authors are also thankful to Dr. R.S. Rekhi, Dr. Yadwinder Singh, Dr. B.S. Brar and Dr. A.L. Bhandari, Senior Soil Scientists, Department of Soils, PAU, Ludhiana, for arranging soil samples from different field experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab, India

    G. S. Kang, V. Beri & B. S. Sidhu

  2. International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India

    O. P. Rupela

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  1. G. S. Kang
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  2. V. Beri
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  3. B. S. Sidhu
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  4. O. P. Rupela
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Correspondence to V. Beri.

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Kang, G.S., Beri, V., Sidhu, B.S. et al. A new index to assess soil quality and sustainability of wheat-based crop** systems. Biol Fertil Soils 41, 389–398 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0857-4

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