INVESTIGATING SOIL CARBON AND NITROGEN STOCKS AND FRACTION DYNAMICS WITH DEPTH UNDER LONG-TERM TILLAGE AND ROTATIONAL CROPPING SYSTEM

Conservation agriculture has differential impact on the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage. Thus, the study was conducted to investigate the long-term response of tillage and crop rotation on SOC and TN storage and their association with mineral fraction dynamics. The key findings of this research indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) storage were enhanced under no-tillage; however, SOC and TN storage showed no significant difference between intermediate tillage (chisel plow) and extreme tillage (moldboard plow). Similarly, the increase in carbon and nitrogen content at the plow depth of the tillage systems was attributed to particulate fractions, while the carbon and nitrogen associated with minerals were higher in no-till systems, regardless of soil depth.