Suya Padhra Haridha Rajagopalan

The present work examines how organic manures affect the physical properties of soil. It also investigates their relationship with the growth and yield of black gram (Vigna mungo L.). With increasing concern over the excessive use of chemical fertilizers resulting in soil degradation, there is growing interest in sustainable and organic alternatives. Organic amendments like goat manure (GM), swine manure (SM) and vermicompost (VC) were applied alone and in combination at two concentrations viz., 8 t ha-1 and 17 t ha-1. The experiment was conducted to evaluate changes in key soil physical attributes like bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), water holding capacity (WHC), pore space (PS), saturated moisture (SaM), hydraulic conductivity (HC), permeability (PE). Additionally, the study aimed to statistically analyse the correlation between these soil parameters and the yield of black gram. Data was analysed using SPSS software, employing correlation and multiple linear regression models. Results revealed that WHC, PS and SaM were strongly and positively correlated with yield, while BD showed a consistent and significant negative correlation. Biometric observations revealed that application of organic manure had a substantial positive effect on plant growth. Parameters such as plant height, number of pods per plant and number of leaves per plant showed noticeable improvement. These improvements were especially evident under manure treatments. This highlights the contribution of organic inputs towards improved plant vigour and productivity. The best agronomic result (990 kg ha-1) was recorded with GM+VC @ 17 t ha-1. The regression model at 8 t ha-1 produced the highest R2 value (99.6%) indicating a reliable prediction of yield in accordance with soil physical properties. The findings exemplify that organic manure application not only improves soil health but also substantially enhances the black gram productivity in an ecologically sound manner.

Soil physical structure and particle size distribution are fundamental factors governing its physico-chemical behaviour.These characteristics strongly influence water retention, nutrient availability, and overall soil fertility.This study investigates the effects of organic manure application on soil structure through soil samples analysis employing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) along with Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). SEM imaging provided high-resolution morphological insights, revealing structural differences between untreated and amended soils. Notably, organic manure application resulted in more cohesive aggregates with enhanced porosity, indicating improved soil aeration and water retention capacity.DLS analysisindicated that the mean soil particle size in the control plot was 892.9 nm. Particle size increased substantially with organic amendmentsreaching 1092 nm in the GM+SM+VC (12.5 t ha-1) treatment.This finding points toward the formation of larger aggregates, likely due to improved organic matter content and microbial activity. The results demonstrated that organic amendments contributed to a more heterogeneous soil structure with increased particle connectivity and surface roughness. These changes are associated with enhanced nutrient-holding capacity and soil stability, which are crucial for sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, the study highlights the significant role of organic amendments in altering soil morphology and particle size distribution, leading to improved soil quality. By enhancing soil structure and fertility, organic manure application promotes better crop growth and sustainable land management. These findings emphasize the importance of adopting organic amendments for long-term agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.

This study emphasis on the impact of Swine manure (SM), Vermi compost (VC) and combination of both the manures (SMVC) treatments on physico-chemical, chemical and physical properties of Sandy Clay Loam (SCL) soil and on the growth parameters of the Black Gram (Vigna Mungo.L.). A field experiment was conducted with three different treatments viz., sole application of SM, VC and combined application of both manures SMVC at three different doses of 8, 12.5 and 17 t ha-1 respectively. Soil properties got better enhancement for the amendment of swine manure as a single treatment at 17 t ha-1 (T3) and also responded well when combined usage with vermicompost at 17 t ha-1 (T9) too. The highest yield of 512 kg ha-1 was obtained for the treatment T9 and it is also in par with T3 of 510 kg ha-1, and the lowest yield 94 kg ha-1 was acquired with the control plot (T10). Chemical properties like Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) got enriched after amendment with organic supplements, hence the development in the growing parameters viz., height of the plant and number of leaves per plant got increased. Bulk density takes place a cardinal role in the enhancement of water holding capacity along with saturated moisture (SaM) and thereby increases the yield. Statistical analysis has been done using SPSS (P<0.05) and height of the plant in 45DAS was found to be significantly responded to the crop yield. Present finding revealed that swine manure could be reliably used to enhance the productivity of Black Gram (Vigna Mungo.L.) instead of preferring to the Chemical Fertilizers (CF) and deteriorating the environmental ecosystem and to reduce the first concern of FYM.