JOURNAL of Soil Biology and Ecology

The abundance of soil macrofauna responds to different nutrient application

Authors: SHIVAPPA AGADI AND N.G. KUMAR

Abstract:

Soil macro-fauna are essential components of the agro-ecosystem, contributing to various functions and processes. Without these organisms together with meso and microfauna, the soil would be a sterile medium that could not sustain crop production. The field experiment was conducted to know the impact of different approaches to nutrient applications on the macrofauna population at GKVK, UAS, Bengaluru during cropping (Kharif) and non-cropping (summer) seasons under the sunflower cropping system. Soil biota consortia were introduced to four treatments, viz. (Package of practice (POP) 62.50:90:62.50 kg NPK/ha+ 7.5 t/ha FYM, FYM alone (15 t/ha), Soil test crop response integrated practices (STCR) - 24.22:56.64 kg NK/ha and STCR inorganic alone (110.46:133.04) kg NK/ha) and remaining four treatments were without the introduction of soil biota consortia. Higher macro-fauna abundance (17.62 macrofauna/pitfall trap) was recorded in the package of practice (POP) 62.50:90:62.50 kg NPK/ha+ 7.5 t/ha FYM treatment with introduced consortia of soil fauna and the least abundance in FYM alone (15 t/ha) (12.12 macrofauna /trap). The mean macro-fauna population was significantly more in the samples collected ten days after sowing (19.33 macrofauna/trap) in the cropping season. The population reduced up to 30DAS and further it increased gradually from 45 DAS in the cropping season. The Package of practices treatment also recorded a significantly higher macrofauna population (12.09 macrofauna /trap) even in non-cropping season and the least abundance in FYM alone (15 t/ha) with soil biota consortia (6.00 macrofauna /trap). The variation in the abundance of soil macrofauna may be due to the availability of their food or host and moisture and temperature content in the soil.

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