Organic and natural farming improve microbial diversity and dehydrogenase activity in clusterbean-tomato cropping sequence

Abstract

ABSTRACT Organic (OF) and natural farming (NF) may help to overcome drawbacks of chemical farming. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the microbial diversity and dehydrogenase activity in clusterbean-tomato cropping sequence with different farming systems over 3 years. An increase in bacterial population in OF (73.6%) and NF (55.4%) over conventional farming practice (PoP) and 90.8% (OF) and 62.1% (NF) over farmers’ practice (FP) was recorded. Fungal population in OF and NF increased by 32.8% and 12%, respectively over PoP and 76.8% (OF) and 47% (NF) over FP. Increase in actinomycetes population of 34% (OF) and 18.1% (NF) over PoP and 60.9% (OF) and 41.8% (NF) over FP was observed. Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) population increased to 62.8% (OF) and 33.4% (NF) over PoP and 103.1% (OF) and 66.4% (NF) over FP. Population of N-Fixers also found enhanced in OF (31.4%) and NF (9.7%) compared to PoP and FP (OF: 97.4% and NF: 58%). The higher dehydrogenase activity of 41.4% (OF) and 25.5% (NF) was recorded over PoP and OF (62%) and NF (43.8%) over FP. It can be concluded that OF and NF enhanced microbial diversities and dehydrogenase activity.