JOURNAL of Soil Biology and Ecology 

Consequences of crop rotation from intensive cultivation practices of fodder maize to soybean on the abundance of macrofauna

Author : SHRINATH CHIMMALAGI, S. AND N.G. KUMAR

Abstract :

Among the factors influencing soil health, soil biota plays a significant role. Crop, cropping pattern, agro-inputs used, cultivation practices followed, and availability of various food resources influences the soil invertebrates’ activity in the respective ecosystem. The experiment was conducted to know the impact of agro-inputs on the activity of soil macro-fauna in the soybean ecosystem. There was no significant difference in soil macro-faunal abundance among the treatments. Higher soil macro-faunal abundance was noticed in recommended fertilizer (63.90 macro-fauna/trap) treated plot, which was on par with other treatments during the cropping season. Higher macro-faunal abundance was noticed 90 Days after sowing (50.47 macro-fauna/trap) when there were congenial conditions. Ant activity (95.46%) was relatively higher in plots treated with fertilizers alone, and beetle activity (6.51%) was high in plots treated with FYM and gliricidia mulching than in other treatments. Other macro-fauna were relatively more abundant in 17.5 FYM t ha-1 + 25% recommended fertilizers. Solenopsis geminata was relatively more abundant than other ant species, followed by Monomorium sp. 9 species of ants belonging to 3 different subfamilies were noticed in the soybean ecosystem.

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