Impact of Different Farming Systems on the Physico-chemical and Biological Properties of Tea Soils

摘要

Studies were carried out in a tea garden in the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu, India) situated at an altitude of 1528 m above mean sea level at 11° 16' N latitude and 76° 44' E longitude on the effect of conventional, organic and biodynamic agricultural practices on the physico-chemical and biological properties of tea soils. The experimental area was planted with the tea clone CR-6017 in the year 1985 at a spacing of 1.20 x 0.60 x 0.60 m and pruned at a height of 60 cm from ground level during April 2004 and again during 2007 at 55 cm. The experiment was of Randomized Block design (RBD) with three treatments, each replicated in seven blocks. Each block consisted of 100 tea bushes with sufficient guard rows between the treatment blocks. The treatments were(1) conventional, intensive farming system using chemical fertilizers, micronutrients, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides (2) organic system of farming using organic manures, approved fungicides and micronutrients as suggested by the Institute of marketeocology (IMO) and (3) biodynamic system of farming using biodynamic formulations, calendar, and others as suggested by the Biodynamic Association of India (BDAI). Pre treatment yield was recorded from June to September 2000 and the treatments wereimposed in October. Before imposing the treatments andat the end of experiment the following observations were made. The crop harvested at each plucking round was monitored till the time of pruning. The data on soil parameters were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the organic matter content, water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity of the soils were significantly higher in organic and biodynamic blocks compared to conventional treatment. Among the treatments, biodynamic blocks recorded higher bacterial population followed by organic and conventional systems. Similar trend was observed in the case of actinomycetes and fungi. There was tremendous increase in the population of beneficial soil microbes in biodynamic and organic soils.