Assessment of Soil Physical Properties under Major Cropping Systems of SPSR Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, India

A study was carried out during 2021-22 in SPSR Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India to know the impact of major cropping systems on soil physical properties. A total of 240 soil samples (120 surface and 120 subsurface) under six major cropping systems such as paddy-paddy, fallow-paddy, groundnut-paddy, paddy-cotton, paddy-greengram and paddy-blackgram were collected and analysed for physical properties. The results revealed that the color of the soils ranged from pale red to very dark gray (2.5 YR 6/2 to 7.5 YR 3/1). The soils of study area were sandy clay loam, sandy loam, clay loam and clay in texture. Soils from paddy-paddy and paddy-cotton cropping systems recorded highest bulk density (1.55 mg m-3) in surface soils and paddy-cotton (1.66 mg m-3) cropping system in sub-surface soils whereas lowest bulk density observed in paddy-blackgram cropping system in both surface (1.13 mg m-3) and sub-surface soils (1.29 mg m-3). In surface and subsurface soils particle density was ranged from 2.45 mg m-3 in paddy-cotton and paddy-blackgram cropping system to 2.75 mg m-3 in paddy-cotton and paddy-greengram cropping systems. The soils of paddy-blackgram cropping system showed higher water holding capacity (54.65 and 49.71%, respectively) while the lowest was recorded in paddy-cotton cropping system in surface and sub-surface soils (31.39 and 28.28%, respectively). Volume expansion was found to be high in paddy-blackgram cropping system in both surface and subsurface soils (22.34 and 23.61%, respectively) while lowest volume expansion was noticed in paddy-paddy cropping system in surface soils (12.46%) and paddy-cotton cropping system in sub-surface soils (11.94%).