MAINTENANCE OF SOIL QUALITY PARAMETERS THROUGH HUMIC ACID APPLICATION IN AN ALFISOL AND INCEPTISOL

Summary

Humic acid is an organic carbon rich product. To study the effect of humic acid on soil quality parameters like organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and enzymatic activities field experiments were conducted in Alfisol and Inceptisol with different levels of humic acid(0 to 40 kg ha-1) and feriliser doses (0,75 and 100 percent recommended dose of fertiliser).In Alfisol application of humic acid @40 kg ha-1 increased the organic carbon (OC) content to 0.790 per cent from 0.725 percent for without HA(humic acid ) application. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) get increased from 24.9 cmol(p+) kg-1 for without HA to 33.4 cmol(p+) kg-1 for 40 kg HA application ha-1.In an Inceptisol, for HA application @40 kg ha-1 the OC and CEC get increased to 0.603 per cent and 25.9 cmol(p+) kg-1 from 0.507 per cent and 18.5 cmol(p+) kg-1 for without HA application. The HA in combination with either @100 per cent recommended dose of NPK or 75 per cent had an added effect on OC and CEC of the soils.The Humic acid application @ 20 kg HA ha-1 or 10 kg ha-1 with foliar spray or root dipping combined with recommended dose or reduced dose of fertilizers favorably increased the enzymatic activities of catalase , dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities