Effect of Nitrogen Management on Microbial Population After Harvest of Maize (Zea mays L.) in typic haplustepts of Rajasthan

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2018-19 at the Instructional Farm (Agronomy) of the Rajasthan College of Agriculture in Udaipur, situated at an altitude of 579.5 meters above sea level, with coordinates 24º34’ latitude and 73º42’ longitude. This region falls under agro-climatic zone IVa (Subhumid Southern Plain and Aravalli Hills) of Rajasthan. The results indicated that the highest populations of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes in the soil were observed under treatment T11, which involved 100% recommended dose of nitrogen from chemical fertilizers combined with 10 tons of FYM per hectare. This was followed by T3 (75% RDN from chemical fertilizers and 25% RDN from poultry manure), T2 (75% RDN from chemical fertilizers and 25% RDN from enriched compost), T4 (75% RDN from chemical fertilizers and 25% RDN from vermicompost), and T12 (100% RDN from chemical fertilizers), consistent across both years and in the pooled analysis.