Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp1 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - II

Effect of rice residue management options on soil microbial dynamics and enzyme activity under Rabi sunflower cultivation in an Alfisol

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.8699
Submitted
6 April 2025
Published
06-10-2025

Abstract

The study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Tornala, in Siddipet district, Telangana, India, for two consecutive Rabi seasons during 2022-23 and 2023-24 to investigate the effect of Kharif rice residue management on soil microbial dynamics and enzyme activity under Rabi sunflower in a rice-sunflower cropping system. Microbial populations were higher in treatments that included incorporation of straw with adjusted ratios of straw C:N (T5), C:P (T6) and C:N:P (T7) to 30:1, 30:0.3 and 30:1:0.3, respectively, or incorporation as such (T4). The bacterial and fungal populations exhibited an increasing tendency from the time of straw integration, peaking at the sowing stage. While actinomycetes were higher in straw incorporation and peaked at 45 DAS, declining towards harvest. On the other hand, at every stage of crop growth, the residue burning + RDF (T1) treatment continuously had the lowest microbial populations. Soil enzyme activities were significantly higher in straw incorporation treatments, with urease, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, acid and alkaline phosphatase peaking at 45 DAS, unlike burning and removal treatments. The enzyme activities were significantly reduced by burning the residue: urease decreased by 51.52 % and 47.93 %, dehydrogenase by 51.02 % and 44.11 %, β-glucosidase by 80.18 % and 73.74 %, acid phosphatase by 56.72 % and 48.85 % and alkaline phosphatase by 62.07 % and 61.45 % when compared to straw incorporation with C:N:P ratio adjustment (T7) and residue retention + zero tillage + RDF (T3). Other straw incorporation treatments (T5, T6) and residue removal treatment (T2) showed noticeably greater activity of these enzymes than burning.

References

  1. 1. Devi S, Gupta C, Jat SL, Parmar MS. Crop residue recycling for economic and environmental sustainability: The case of India. Open Agric. 2017;2(1):486-94. https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2017-0053
  2. 2. Kumar A, Kushwaha KK, Singh S, Shivay YS, Meena MC, Nain L. Effect of paddy straw burning on soil microbial dynamics in sandy loam soil of Indo-Gangetic plains. Environ Technol Innov. 2019;16:100469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2019.100469
  3. 3. Gupta RK, Hans H, Kalia A, Kang JS, Kaur J, Sraw PK, et al. Long-term impact of different straw management practices on carbon fractions and biological properties under rice–wheat system. Agriculture. 2022;12(10):1733. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101733
  4. 4. Bhuvaneshwari S, Hettiarachchi H, Meegoda JN. Crop residue burning in India: policy challenges and potential solutions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(5):832. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050832
  5. 5. Singh Y, Sidhu HS. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable rice-wheat production system in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad. 2014;80(1):95-114. https://doi.org/10.16943/ptinsa/2014/v80i1/55089
  6. 6. Prasad V, Sridevi S, Jayasree G, Venkata Ramana M, Triveni S. Productivity and profitability of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under different straw management options in rice fallows. Asian J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. 2024;10(4):71-82. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajsspn/2024/v10i4383
  7. 7. Mandal KG, Misra AK, Hati KM, Bandyopadhyay KK, Ghosh PK, Mohanty M. Rice residue-management options and effects on soil properties and crop productivity. J Food Agric Environ. 2004;2(1):224-31.
  8. 8. Schmidt EL, Caldwell AC. A practical manual of soil microbiology laboratory methods. FAO Soils Bull. 1967;72-5.
  9. 9. Eivazi F, Tabatabai MA. Phosphatases in soils. Soil Biol Biochem. 1977;9(3):167-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(77)90070-0
  10. 10. Tabatabai MA, Bremner JM. Assay of urease activity in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1972;41:350-2. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1977.03615995004100020018x
  11. 11. Casida LE Jr, Klein DA, Santoro T. Soil dehydrogenase activity. Soil Sci. 1964;98(6):371-6. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-196412000-00004
  12. 12. abatabai MA, Bremner JM. Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biol Biochem. 1969;1:301-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(69)90012-1
  13. 13. Panse VC, Sukhatme PV. Statistical methods for agricultural workers. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1978. p. 87-9. https://doi.org/10.5555/19561604178
  14. 14. Biederbeck VO, Campbell CA, Bowren KE, Schnitzer M, McIver RN. Effect of burning cereal straw on soil properties and grain yields in Saskatchewan. Soil Sci Soc Am J. 1980;44(1):103-11. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400010022x
  15. 15. Mickovski M. Effect of burnt straw on the microflora of soil. God Zb Zemjod Sumar Fak Univ Skopje Zemjod. 1967;20:55-68. https://doi.org/10.5555/19701901176
  16. 16. Sharma S, Dhaliwal SS. Rice residue incorporation and nitrogen application: effects on yield and micronutrient transformations under rice-wheat cropping system. J Plant Nutr. 2020;43(18):2697-711. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2020.1783295
  17. 17. Zhao S, Zhang S. Linkages between straw decomposition rate and the change in microbial fractions and extracellular enzyme activities in soils under different long-term fertilization treatments. PLoS One. 2018;13(9):e0202660. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202660
  18. 18. Bhagat P, Gosal SK. Long term application of rice straw and nitrogen fertilizer affects soil health and microbial communities. Chem Sci Rev Lett. 2018;7:586-93. http://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.602.068
  19. 19. Vijayaprabhakar A, Durairaj SN, Kalyan VRK. Impact of combine harvested rice straw management options on soil microbial population and straw decomposition rate in succeeding rice field. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2017;6(2):600-11. http://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.602.068
  20. 20. Govaerts B, Mezzalama M, Sayre KD, Crossa J, Lichter K, Troch V, et al. Long-term consequences of tillage, residue management, and crop rotation on selected soil micro-flora groups in the subtropical highlands. Appl Soil Ecol. 2008;38(3):197-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2007.10.009
  21. 21. Singh V, Gupta RK, Kalia A, Al-Ansari N, Alataway A, Dewidar AZ, et al. Soil type and integrated nitrogen nutrient-rice straw residue management techniques affect soil microbes, enzyme activities and yield of wheat crop. Heliyon. 2023;9(6):e03852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e03852
  22. 22. Zhang L, Chen X, Xu Y, Jin M, Ye X, Gao H, et al. Soil labile organic carbon fractions and soil enzyme activities after 10 years of continuous fertilization and wheat residue incorporation. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):11318-22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68163-3
  23. 23. Malobane ME, Nciizah AD, Nyambo P, Mudau FN, Wakindiki II. Microbial biomass carbon and enzyme activities as influenced by tillage, crop rotation and residue management in a sweet sorghum cropping system in marginal soils of South Africa. Heliyon. 2020;6(11):e05356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05356
  24. 24. Green VS, Stott DE, Cruz JC, Curi N. Tillage impacts on soil biological activity and aggregation in a Brazilian Cerrado Oxisol. Soil Tillage Res. 2007;92(1-2):114-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2006.01.004
  25. 25. Zhu Z, Ge T, Luo Y, Liu S, Xu X, Tong C, et al. Microbial stoichiometric flexibility regulates rice straw mineralization and its priming effect in paddy soil. Soil Biol Biochem. 2018;121:67-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.03.003
  26. 26. Wu F, Jia Z, Wang S, Chang SX, Startsev A. Contrasting effects of wheat straw and its biochar on greenhouse gas emissions and enzyme activities in a Chernozemic soil. Biol Fertil Soils. 2013;49:555-65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-012-0745-7
  27. 27. Guo ZB, Liu H, Hua K, Wang DZ, He CL. Long-term straw incorporation benefits the elevation of soil phosphorus availability and use efficiency in the agroecosystem. Span J Agric Res. 2018;16(3):e1101. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2018163-12857
  28. 28. Liang YC, Yang YF, Yang CG, Shen QR, Zhou JM, Yang LZ. Soil enzymatic activity and growth of rice (Oryza sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) as influenced by organic manure in an anthropogenic soil. Geoderma. 2003;115:149-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(03)00084-3
  29. 29. Akhtar K, Wang W, Ren G, Khan A, Feng Y, Yang G. Changes in soil enzymes, soil properties, and maize (Zea mays) crop productivity under wheat straw mulching in Guanzhong, China. Soil Tillage Res. 2018;182:94-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2018.05.007
  30. 30. Zhang P, Chen X, Wei T, Yang Z, Jia Z, Yang B, et al. Effects of straw incorporation on the soil nutrient contents, enzyme activities, and crop yield in a semiarid region of China. Soil Tillage Res. 2016;160:65-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2016.02.006
  31. 31. Tian P, Lian H, Wang Z, Jiang Y, Li C, Sui P, et al. Effects of deep and shallow tillage with straw incorporation on soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and enzyme activities in Northeast China. Sustainability. 2020;12(20):8679. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208679
  32. 32. Yadav BK. Bio-chemical properties and nutrient availability in soil as influenced by in-situ paddy residue burning in semi-arid region of Punjab. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2020;9(4):1275-83.
  33. 33. Ravali C, Jayasree G, Pratibha G, Triveni S, Reddy KS. Impact of in-situ paddy straw burning on soil enzyme activity, soil microbial population and greenhouse gas emissions in sandy loam soil. Int J Environ Clim Change. 2022;12(11):3633-40. https://doi.org/10.9734/IJECC/2022/v12i111411
  34. 34. Nannipieri P, Giagnoni L, Landi L, Renella G. Role of phosphatase enzymes in soil. In: Bünemann EK, Oberson A, Frossard E, editors. Phosphorus in action: biological processes in soil phosphorus cycling. Berlin: Springer; 2011. p. 215-43. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15271-9_9
  35. 35. Wu L, Ma H, Zhao Q, Zhang S, Wei W, Ding X. Changes in soil bacterial community and enzyme activity under five years of straw returning in paddy soil. Eur J Soil Biol. 2020;100:103215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2020.103215

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.