EFFECT OF COCONUT BASED INTEGRATED CROPPING SYSTEM ON SOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND MICROBIAL POPULATIONS IN COASTAL ODISHA CONDITIONGopa Mishra, S.C. Sahoo A.K. Karna, S.K. Pattanayak and H.P. MaheswarappaAbstract Coconut (Cocos nucifera L) is an important high vale crop, however mainly grown by small and marginal farmers in the coastal Odisha condition. The poor productivity and profitability of coconut cultivation in the particular area owes to the poor nutritional management and sole cropping. The experiment was conducted by taking four intercrops (banana, pineapple, guava and colocasia) inside the coconut garden. Different combinations of nutrient sources were used and crop specific growth regulators were applied at specific growth stages. The study was conducted during 2016-17 and 2017-18 in order to assess the effects of cropping system, nutrient and growth management practices on the soil organic carbon (SOC) as well as the soil microbial population in two different soil layers in the system as well as insole cropping of coconut. Soil microbial populations act as an index of soil fertility due to their active role in nutrient mineralization in soil system. During both the years of investigation the soil organic carbon was found highest inside the cropping system. Both SOC and microbial population were found maximum in the cropping system soil managed with pure organic sources of nutrient. |