Nutrient status of rhizosphere and bulk soil in coleus as influenced by agronomic management practices Arunjith P1,*, Isaac Sheeba Rebecca1, Thampatti KC Manorama2 1Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India 2Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India *Email for correspondence: arunjithp0077@gmail.com
Online published on 6 December, 2021. Abstract A study was conducted at instructional farm of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala during October 2019 to February 2020 to assess the variations in soil nutrient status with the agronomic management practices adopted in coleus cultivation. The experiment was laid out in split plot design replicated four times with methods of planting as main plots and combinations of nutrient management practice and growth promoter as subplot treatments. Results revealed the higher available NPK content in rhizosphere soil compared to bulk soil. Bulk soil nutrient status was significantly higher under the wider spacing of 30 cm x 30 cm (319.35 kg N/ha, 36.90 kg P/ha and 423.49 kg K/ha). Irrespective of the growth promoters used, the integrated nutrient package, 60:30:120 kg NPK/ha+PGPRMix1 recorded higher contentsofN,P andKintherhizosphere and bulkregion.Interactioneffects were also significant except for available N in the bulk soil. The management practice of bed, ridge and mound method of planting with a spacing of 30 cm x 30 cm and integrated nutrient management 60:30:120 kg NPK/ha + PGPR Mix 1 was found to record higher available N, P and K status in the rhizosphere soil. Top Keywords Bulk soil, Coleus, Growth promoters, Method of planting, Nutrients, Rhizosphere. Top |