Abstract
We investigated the soil organic C and N stocks, storage profiles and microbial biomass as influenced by different crop management systems in a tropical agricultural ecosystem. The different crop management systems significantly affected the C and N stocks and microbial biomass C and N at different soil depths. Amongst the systems evaluated, the rice-wheat system maintained a higher soil organic C content. Inclusion of legumes in the system improved the soil organic matter level and also soil microbial biomass activity, vital for the nutrient turnover and long-term productivity of the soil. Irrespective of the cropping system, approximately 58.4%, 25.7% and 15.9% of the C was distributed in 0–15, 15–30 and 30–60 cm depths, respectively.
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Received: 10 October 1999
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Manjaiah, K., Voroney, R. & Sen, U. Soil organic carbon stocks, storage profile and microbial biomass under different crop management systems in a tropical agricultural ecosystem. Biol Fertil Soils 32, 273–278 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003740000248
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003740000248