CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ORGANIC MANURES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON SOIL FERTILITY AND BLACK GRAM YIELD
With increasing concern over the continuous application of chemical fertilisers, attention has shifted towardssustainable agricultural practices. Organic amendments like goat manure (GM), swine manure (SM) andvermicompost (VC) were applied alone and in double and triple manure concentrations, viz., 8, 12.5 and 17 t ha-1 . The initial soil was slightly alkaline with a pH of 7.6, low in organic carbon (0.0411%), and deficient in availablenitrogen (128.50 kg ha -1), with relatively high bulk density (1.1036 g/cm³) and poor water holding capacity. After harvest, organic-amended soil exhibited a favourable reduction in pH (7.0 – 7.4) and a significant increase inorganic carbon up to 0.0865%. Available nitrogen improved by 45 % compared to the control, while bulk densitydeclined (1.0599 - 0.8039 gm cm-3), and porosity and water holding capacity were enhanced, indicating activenutrient mineralisation. Statistical analysis confirmed that goat manure, along with vermicompost, was significantlysuperior (p < 0.05) to other treatments in enhancing soil fertility. These statistical improvements in soil chemical properties were observed in the soil of black gram. They were reflected in increased plant height, a greater number of pods per plant and a higher number of leaves per plant of black gram. This highlights the contribution of organicinputs toward improved plant vigour and productivity. The best agronomic result (990 kg ha -1) was notedwithGM+VC @ 17 t ha -1 . The findings exemplify that organic manure application not only improves soil health but alsosubstantially enhances black gram productivity in an ecologically sound manner.
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