IMPACT OF DIFFERENT CULTIVARS AND ORGANIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON SOIL NUTRIENT STATUS AND MICROBIAL POPULATION OF SOIL IN FOXTAIL MILLET (SETARIA ITALICA L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during the summer seasons of 2023 and 2024 to evaluate the effect of different organic management practices on soil nutrient, microbial population and plant uptake in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture with acidic reaction (pH 5.5), medium in organic carbon (0.73%), medium in available nitrogen (243.56 kg/ha), low in phosphorus (17.83) and the available potassium (140.15 kg/ha). The treatment consisted of two different factors viz., three foxtail millet cultivars C1: Gossaigaon local, C2: Majuli local, C3: SiA-3156 and four organic nutrient management practices. viz., O1: vermicompost @ 2t/ha, O2: seed biopriming with beejamrutha @ 4% +vermicompost @ 2t/ha, O3: seed biopriming with beejamrutha @ 4%  + vermicompost @ 1t/ha + panchagavya @ 3%  as foliar spray at 30 and 55 DAS and O4: seed biopriming with beejamrutha @ 4% + vermicompost @1t/ha + jeevamrutha @4% as foliar spray at 30 and 55 DAS. Experimental findings revealed that significantly higher percentage of organic carbon, soil microbial population, and soil microbial biomass carbon, available N, P2O5  and K2 O, were found highest under the treatment seed biopriming with beejamrutha @ 4% +vermicompost @ 1t/ha + panchagavya @ 3% as foliar spray at 30 and 55 DAS (O3) during the two years of study.