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Full Research Article

Organic Amendments Improve Soil Moisture Retention and Soil Properties under French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Cultivation 

S
Sagar Balmiki1
M
Manoj Dutta1,*
0009-0001-4967-7130
H
Hapemo Ngullie K1
S
Sewak Ram1
S
Sorenthung Patton1
J
Jurisandhya Barik Bordoloi2
D
D Nongmaithem3
1Department of Soil and Water Conservation, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.
2Department of Soil Science, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.
3Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.

ABSTRACT

Background: Predominantly cultivated in the areas where cool weather prevails, French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a nutritionally imperative legume crop grown for its protein rich seeds and green pods. The hilly region of Nagaland is well suited for this crop where it is grown as a kharif as well as a rabi crop. Due to steep slopes and prevailing soil degradation in the region, this study aims to deliver critical analysis on how the incorporation of organic manures may help restore the soil health and productivity so that sustainable agriculture can be achieved.

 Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate how soil moisture and soil properties are influenced by organic amendments under French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation during the rabi season of 2024 at the research farm of ICAR KVK Peren, Nagaland. Randomized Block Design (RBD) was adopted for the aforesaid experiment with 3 replications and 8 treatments specifically, control (T1), FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (T2), poultry litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T3), forest litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T4), pig manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T5), goat manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T6), vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 (T7) and enriched compost @ 2.5 t ha-1 (T8).

Result: Outcomes of the study revealed that vermicompost (T7) delivered the peak soil moisture at early stages (21.71% and 22.22%) at 15 and 30 DAS, respectively, while forest litter (T4) maintained higher soil moisture at later stages (23.03%-25.06%) at 45 and 60 DAS and 24.11% at 75 DAS. Poultry litter (T3) significantly improved soil chemical and biological properties, recording highest soil pH (5.73), organic carbon (2.01%), available nitrogen (532.82 kg ha-1), available potassium (331.60 kg ha-1), soil microbial biomass carbon (220.02 µg g-1), dehydrogenase activity (4.74 µg TPF g-1 soil h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (63.53 µg PNP g-1 soil h-1).

INTRODUCTION

Organic manures serve a crucial role in providing essential nutrients to the soil with cost effective and minimal environmental impact. Small and marginal farmers with nominal land holdings largely depends on organic manures as it supplies essential macro and micro nutrients which are indispensable for crop growth and productivity. It reduces the dependency of inorganic fertilizers consequently leaning towards sustainable crop production (Gelaye, 2023). In Nagaland with special reference to Tuensang district, French beans production provides 46.96% of the total income of farmers (Patra and Benjongtoshi, 2023). The hilly region of North-East India and particularly Nagaland, erratic rainfall pattern coupled with hilly slopes damage the stability of the soil and retention of soil moisture making it strenuous to sustain, ultimately being lost through runoff and erosion (Bhattacharjee, 2019). Collection of water through traditional methods like Rüza or Zabo especially in Nagaland helps reduce runoff and conserve more water (Das, 2025). Adoption of integrated nutrient management which focuses on utilization of organic manures, crop residues and some essential fertilizers boost the soils ability to stabilize the soil structure, moisture conservation and infiltration of runoff water (Haokip et al., 2023). Due to undulating terrain and steep slopes in Nagaland, proper soil and water conservation measures are the utmost priority to help reduce erosion and conservation of soil moisture (Ngullie et al., 2025). The addition of organic manures plays an important role in enhancing the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil. It conserves and maintains the soil health providing adequate nutrient supply and most importantly improving the ecological balance of the natural soil conditions (Verma et al., 2024). Changkiri et al., (2024) stated that incorporation of organic manures along with inorganic fertilizers tends to elevate soil moisture retention, improves soil fertility and thus increases the yield and yield attributes of the soil which ultimately sustains the profitability in French bean growers. With reference to a five-year study conducted in Meghalaya by Saha and Mishra, (2009) it has been noticed that incorporation of organic residues like FYM, ambrosia weed and jungle grasses as mulch rejuvenates the soil fertility, soil structure, moisture conservation and runoff infiltration which ultimately increases crop productivity in the hilly topography of Northeast India. The incorporation of FYM @ 5 t ha-1 performed considerably better than all other treatments under pea cultivation in the hilly Northeastern Region of India, Nagaland (Haiguipeung et al., 2025). This study focuses with the enhancement of soil health and sustainable crop production, which have become a major concern in modern agriculture practices. To meet the global food demand, excessive use of chemical fertilizers amplified significantly, so as to tackle this concern and to justify that organic manures can likewise augment productivity whereby contributing to a cleaner environment, the present study was precisely steered. The nutrient deficient soil in the degraded slopes of NER Region of India may be enhanced and rejuvenated with the integration of organic manures as it improves the soil structure, increases water holding capacity, supply essential macro and micronutrients, enhances the microbial activity, improves soil organic carbon, improves the availability of nutrients to the plant, reduces the dependency of chemical fertilizers and ultimately promotes sustainable farming systems. This study provides a methodical detail on how the integration of organic manures influences the soil physical and chemical parameters as well as moisture dynamics of the experimental site and the concerned areas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The experiment was conducted at the research field of ICAR KVK Peren during the rabi season of the year 2024, which is located at 25o39'48" North latitude and 93o38'21" East longitude having an altitude of 295.8 m above mean sea level. Soil samples were collected at 15 cm depth with an auger to evaluate various soil properties (Table 1). The experiment was carried out following randomized block design (RBD) with 3 replications to control field variability across plots. The French bean variety used in the experiment was Arka suvidha (Bushy type). The number of treatments used in the experiment was eight i.e. control (T1), FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (T2), Poultry litter@ 5 t ha-1 (T3), Forest litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T4), Pig manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T5), Goat manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T6), Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 (T7), Enriched compost @ 2.5 t ha-1 (T8). Soil moisture was recorded at 15 days’ interval to assess the moisture status. To appraise the consequences of organic manures on soil properties, the present study analyzed a range of physical and chemical parameters, including soil moisture content, bulk density, particle density, porosity, water-holding capacity, mean weight diameter, percentage of aggregates, dispersion ratio, erosion index, soil pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S). Gomez and Gomez (2004) technique was followed in the analysis of data.

Table 1: Initial soil properties and methods employed for determination.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Soil moisture conservation
 
Farm yard manure and vermicompost optimistically influenced soil moisture regime of the cultivated plot resulting in elevated mustard grain and stover yield (Bhanwaria et al., 2022). Following the findings of the research, the soil moisture conservation status recorded at 15 days’ interval revealed significant variations among treatments with organic manures showing notable progress over control as outlined in Table 2. Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 escalated the moisture content in 15 DAS (21.71%) and 30 DAS (22.22%), meanwhile elevated moisture level was also observed under forest litter from 45 DAS (23.03%), 60 DAS (25.06%) and 75 DAS (24.11%). Lower moisture content (19.26%) was noted in the plots where enriched compost was applied in 15 DAS. Plots where no amendments were added (control) also resulted in lower moisture content i.e. 18.61%, 17.22% and 17.52% at 30, 60 and 75 DAS, respectively. Vermicompost and FYM improved moisture by adding more organic matter and making the soil more porous, which helped it hold onto water. These trends support the idea that organic inputs can help the soil’s physical condition in rainfed hills. Observations of several authors like Singh et al., (2011) and Mishra et al., (2020) presented parallel outcomes where application of organic manures enhanced the soil properties and lowered the moisture losses through evaporation.

Table 2: Effect of organic manures on soil moisture conservation.


 
Soil physical properties
 
Studies initiated in the Hetao Irrigation District, China which was carried out for a nine-year period highlighted improved soil physical properties of the experimented areas which was acknowledged by higher yield received following the cultivation of wheat and sunflower (Zhao et al., 2024). In this study, a significant regression of soil bulk density was perceived with the induction of organic manures into the soil. Recorded observation revealed 1.28 g cm-3 incorporating forest litter (T4), vermicompost (T7) and enriched compost (T8) which was noted at 5.88% reduction from control (T1) 1.36 g cm-3. The addition of organic manures compiles the organic matter in the soil resulting in the reduction of soil compaction and improves the soil structure (Mahmood et al., 2017). The data related to soil physical properties is systematically presented in Table 3. The particle density of the soil ranged from (2.15-2.50 g cm-3). The porosity of the soil was recorded to be highest under forest litter (T4) 48.80% which was followed by poultry litter (T3) 46.17% and enriched compost (T8) 46% which presents a sign of improved soil aggregation and formation of root bio pore. This highlights the findings recorded by Khoirunnisak et al., (2025). The water holding capacity of the soil was higher with the indulgence of forest litter and vermicompost. The results of this align with the outcomes of Koutika, (2025). Poultry litter managed to output the most elevated mean weight diameter (2.23 mm) which was followed by FYM (1.97 mm) and enriched compost (1.97 mm) whereas the least was recorded in vermicompost treated plots (1.85 mm). The influence of organic manures, especially with the incorporation of poultry litter significantly improves the soil aggregation and microbial activities which directly help the soil to increase the soil organic carbon content. These outcomes are parallel with the findings of Raju and Larkin, (2025). Soil aggregates improved significantly with the incorporation of poultry litter (75.53%), FYM (65.01%) and enriched compost (64.48%). The role of added poultry litter enhanced soil aggregation as elevated soil microbial biomass carbon and organic matter increased the binding ability of the soil; these findings are in line of outcomes described by Li et al., (2023). Lower dispersion ratio was recorded with the addition of poultry manures (25.99) while FYM and vermicompost yielded (26.47) and (27.57) respectively. These outcomes were supported by the results obtained by Singh et al., (2007). Erosion index significantly reduced with the addition of poultry manure (8.50), FYM (8.80) and vermicompost (9.16). Control (T1) maintained the highest erosion index (12.14). The incorporation of organic amendments like poultry litter and FYM improves the structure of the soil which helps in better infiltration and root penetration ability of the crops. The soil losses may be controlled by amending these manures into the soil (Bhattacharya et al., 2023 and Rangasami et al., (2024).

Table 3: Effect of organic manures on soil physical properties.



Table 4: Effect of organic manures on soil chemical properties.


 
Soil chemical properties
 
Augmented pH of the soil were observed with the integration of poultry litter (T3) (5.73) followed by vermicompost (5.53). Yuvaraj et al., (2018) and Bolan et al., (2010) stated that the addition of organic amendments like poultry litter and vermicompost increased the soil pH neutralizing acidity and enhancing microbial decomposition of organic acids. The data of soil chemical properties is highlighted in Table 4. Poultry litter (T3) increased the organic carbon of the soil significantly (2.01%) in comparison to control (T1) noting (1.10%) showing 82% increase. Vermicompost (1.73%) and enriched compost (1.71%) also increased the soil organic carbon in comparison to control. This outcome may be because of formation of humus and higher inputs of labile C. Addition of enriched compost (T8) and goat manure (T6) registered higher CEC i.e. 7.22 and 7.14 cmol (p+) kg-1 which might be due to more negatively charged functional group in stabilized organic matter. These findings are in line with those of Chen et al., (2020). The highest available nitrogen (532.82 kg ha-1) was recorded under poultry litter which was 26.17% higher than control (422.29 kg ha-1), closely followed by enriched compost (529.93 kg ha-1) and forest litter (529.10 kg ha-1). The rise in available N with poultry litter may be due to rapid mineralization of nitrogen. These results align with the findings of DeLaune  et al. (2004). Available P peaked with enriched compost (22.82 kg ha-1) which was slightly ahead of poultry litter (22.20 kg ha-1) and forest litter (22.19 kg ha-1). Similar trends were observed by Erhunmwunse et al., (2019). Available K (331.60 kg ha-1) was observed highest in poultry litter, followed by goat manure (212.53 kg ha-1) and FYM (208.60 kg ha-1) whereas forest litter procured the lowest available K (136.73 kg ha-1). These results are in line with the findings of Toluwase et al., (2020) and Reiter and Middleton (2016) where they stated that poultry litter incorporation considerably improved the available potassium status of the soil. Available S was observed highest in enriched compost (9.89 ppm), followed by vermicompost (9.60 ppm) and FYM (9.51 ppm) and least was reported where no amendments were added (3.78 ppm). The increase in available sulphur with enriched compost and vermicompost treatments is due to the sulphur-rich organic materials and enhanced microbial decomposition. This assumption was also supported by Solanki et al., (2020) where in their study they resolved that organic manures like vermicompost and FYM significantly augments the overall soil health and productivity of cultivated garlic.

CONCLUSION

Based on the outcomes of the research it is clear that organic manures significantly improved soil moisture status. The treatment vermicompost performed better at early stages of crop growth, while forest litter maintained higher moisture at later stages. Poultry litter @ 5 t ha-1 noticeably enhanced soil chemical properties like pH, organic carbon, available N and K. Available P (22.82 kg ha-1) peaked with enriched compost followed by the addition of poultry litter (22.20 kg ha-1). Bulk density declined significantly with forest litter, vermicompost and enriched compost showing a reduction of 5.88% in contrast to control. The water holding capacity of the soil was highest with the incorporation of forest litter and vermicompost. The biological properties of soil were enhanced by poultry litter treatment. Soil microbial biomass carbon (220.02 µg g-1), dehydrogenase activity (4.74 µg TPF g-1 soil h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (63.53 µg (PNP) g-1 soil h-1) were significantly improved by the poultry litter treatment. Under moisture conservation forest litter and vermicompost performed better than all other treatments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The present study was supported by the Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Nagaland University, School of Agricultural Sciences, Medziphema Campus.
 
Disclaimers
 
The views and conclusions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated institutions. The authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided, but do not accept any liability for any direct or indirect losses resulting from the use of this content.
 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article. No funding or sponsorship influenced the design of the study, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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    Full Research Article

    Organic Amendments Improve Soil Moisture Retention and Soil Properties under French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Cultivation 

    S
    Sagar Balmiki1
    M
    Manoj Dutta1,*
    0009-0001-4967-7130
    H
    Hapemo Ngullie K1
    S
    Sewak Ram1
    S
    Sorenthung Patton1
    J
    Jurisandhya Barik Bordoloi2
    D
    D Nongmaithem3
    1Department of Soil and Water Conservation, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.
    2Department of Soil Science, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.
    3Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus-797 106, Nagaland, India.

    ABSTRACT

    Background: Predominantly cultivated in the areas where cool weather prevails, French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a nutritionally imperative legume crop grown for its protein rich seeds and green pods. The hilly region of Nagaland is well suited for this crop where it is grown as a kharif as well as a rabi crop. Due to steep slopes and prevailing soil degradation in the region, this study aims to deliver critical analysis on how the incorporation of organic manures may help restore the soil health and productivity so that sustainable agriculture can be achieved.

     Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate how soil moisture and soil properties are influenced by organic amendments under French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation during the rabi season of 2024 at the research farm of ICAR KVK Peren, Nagaland. Randomized Block Design (RBD) was adopted for the aforesaid experiment with 3 replications and 8 treatments specifically, control (T1), FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (T2), poultry litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T3), forest litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T4), pig manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T5), goat manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T6), vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 (T7) and enriched compost @ 2.5 t ha-1 (T8).

    Result: Outcomes of the study revealed that vermicompost (T7) delivered the peak soil moisture at early stages (21.71% and 22.22%) at 15 and 30 DAS, respectively, while forest litter (T4) maintained higher soil moisture at later stages (23.03%-25.06%) at 45 and 60 DAS and 24.11% at 75 DAS. Poultry litter (T3) significantly improved soil chemical and biological properties, recording highest soil pH (5.73), organic carbon (2.01%), available nitrogen (532.82 kg ha-1), available potassium (331.60 kg ha-1), soil microbial biomass carbon (220.02 µg g-1), dehydrogenase activity (4.74 µg TPF g-1 soil h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (63.53 µg PNP g-1 soil h-1).

    INTRODUCTION

    Organic manures serve a crucial role in providing essential nutrients to the soil with cost effective and minimal environmental impact. Small and marginal farmers with nominal land holdings largely depends on organic manures as it supplies essential macro and micro nutrients which are indispensable for crop growth and productivity. It reduces the dependency of inorganic fertilizers consequently leaning towards sustainable crop production (Gelaye, 2023). In Nagaland with special reference to Tuensang district, French beans production provides 46.96% of the total income of farmers (Patra and Benjongtoshi, 2023). The hilly region of North-East India and particularly Nagaland, erratic rainfall pattern coupled with hilly slopes damage the stability of the soil and retention of soil moisture making it strenuous to sustain, ultimately being lost through runoff and erosion (Bhattacharjee, 2019). Collection of water through traditional methods like Rüza or Zabo especially in Nagaland helps reduce runoff and conserve more water (Das, 2025). Adoption of integrated nutrient management which focuses on utilization of organic manures, crop residues and some essential fertilizers boost the soils ability to stabilize the soil structure, moisture conservation and infiltration of runoff water (Haokip et al., 2023). Due to undulating terrain and steep slopes in Nagaland, proper soil and water conservation measures are the utmost priority to help reduce erosion and conservation of soil moisture (Ngullie et al., 2025). The addition of organic manures plays an important role in enhancing the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil. It conserves and maintains the soil health providing adequate nutrient supply and most importantly improving the ecological balance of the natural soil conditions (Verma et al., 2024). Changkiri et al., (2024) stated that incorporation of organic manures along with inorganic fertilizers tends to elevate soil moisture retention, improves soil fertility and thus increases the yield and yield attributes of the soil which ultimately sustains the profitability in French bean growers. With reference to a five-year study conducted in Meghalaya by Saha and Mishra, (2009) it has been noticed that incorporation of organic residues like FYM, ambrosia weed and jungle grasses as mulch rejuvenates the soil fertility, soil structure, moisture conservation and runoff infiltration which ultimately increases crop productivity in the hilly topography of Northeast India. The incorporation of FYM @ 5 t ha-1 performed considerably better than all other treatments under pea cultivation in the hilly Northeastern Region of India, Nagaland (Haiguipeung et al., 2025). This study focuses with the enhancement of soil health and sustainable crop production, which have become a major concern in modern agriculture practices. To meet the global food demand, excessive use of chemical fertilizers amplified significantly, so as to tackle this concern and to justify that organic manures can likewise augment productivity whereby contributing to a cleaner environment, the present study was precisely steered. The nutrient deficient soil in the degraded slopes of NER Region of India may be enhanced and rejuvenated with the integration of organic manures as it improves the soil structure, increases water holding capacity, supply essential macro and micronutrients, enhances the microbial activity, improves soil organic carbon, improves the availability of nutrients to the plant, reduces the dependency of chemical fertilizers and ultimately promotes sustainable farming systems. This study provides a methodical detail on how the integration of organic manures influences the soil physical and chemical parameters as well as moisture dynamics of the experimental site and the concerned areas.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS

    The experiment was conducted at the research field of ICAR KVK Peren during the rabi season of the year 2024, which is located at 25o39'48" North latitude and 93o38'21" East longitude having an altitude of 295.8 m above mean sea level. Soil samples were collected at 15 cm depth with an auger to evaluate various soil properties (Table 1). The experiment was carried out following randomized block design (RBD) with 3 replications to control field variability across plots. The French bean variety used in the experiment was Arka suvidha (Bushy type). The number of treatments used in the experiment was eight i.e. control (T1), FYM @ 10 t ha-1 (T2), Poultry litter@ 5 t ha-1 (T3), Forest litter @ 5 t ha-1 (T4), Pig manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T5), Goat manure @ 5 t ha-1 (T6), Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 (T7), Enriched compost @ 2.5 t ha-1 (T8). Soil moisture was recorded at 15 days’ interval to assess the moisture status. To appraise the consequences of organic manures on soil properties, the present study analyzed a range of physical and chemical parameters, including soil moisture content, bulk density, particle density, porosity, water-holding capacity, mean weight diameter, percentage of aggregates, dispersion ratio, erosion index, soil pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S). Gomez and Gomez (2004) technique was followed in the analysis of data.

    Table 1: Initial soil properties and methods employed for determination.

    RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

    Soil moisture conservation
     
    Farm yard manure and vermicompost optimistically influenced soil moisture regime of the cultivated plot resulting in elevated mustard grain and stover yield (Bhanwaria et al., 2022). Following the findings of the research, the soil moisture conservation status recorded at 15 days’ interval revealed significant variations among treatments with organic manures showing notable progress over control as outlined in Table 2. Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 escalated the moisture content in 15 DAS (21.71%) and 30 DAS (22.22%), meanwhile elevated moisture level was also observed under forest litter from 45 DAS (23.03%), 60 DAS (25.06%) and 75 DAS (24.11%). Lower moisture content (19.26%) was noted in the plots where enriched compost was applied in 15 DAS. Plots where no amendments were added (control) also resulted in lower moisture content i.e. 18.61%, 17.22% and 17.52% at 30, 60 and 75 DAS, respectively. Vermicompost and FYM improved moisture by adding more organic matter and making the soil more porous, which helped it hold onto water. These trends support the idea that organic inputs can help the soil’s physical condition in rainfed hills. Observations of several authors like Singh et al., (2011) and Mishra et al., (2020) presented parallel outcomes where application of organic manures enhanced the soil properties and lowered the moisture losses through evaporation.

    Table 2: Effect of organic manures on soil moisture conservation.


     
    Soil physical properties
     
    Studies initiated in the Hetao Irrigation District, China which was carried out for a nine-year period highlighted improved soil physical properties of the experimented areas which was acknowledged by higher yield received following the cultivation of wheat and sunflower (Zhao et al., 2024). In this study, a significant regression of soil bulk density was perceived with the induction of organic manures into the soil. Recorded observation revealed 1.28 g cm-3 incorporating forest litter (T4), vermicompost (T7) and enriched compost (T8) which was noted at 5.88% reduction from control (T1) 1.36 g cm-3. The addition of organic manures compiles the organic matter in the soil resulting in the reduction of soil compaction and improves the soil structure (Mahmood et al., 2017). The data related to soil physical properties is systematically presented in Table 3. The particle density of the soil ranged from (2.15-2.50 g cm-3). The porosity of the soil was recorded to be highest under forest litter (T4) 48.80% which was followed by poultry litter (T3) 46.17% and enriched compost (T8) 46% which presents a sign of improved soil aggregation and formation of root bio pore. This highlights the findings recorded by Khoirunnisak et al., (2025). The water holding capacity of the soil was higher with the indulgence of forest litter and vermicompost. The results of this align with the outcomes of Koutika, (2025). Poultry litter managed to output the most elevated mean weight diameter (2.23 mm) which was followed by FYM (1.97 mm) and enriched compost (1.97 mm) whereas the least was recorded in vermicompost treated plots (1.85 mm). The influence of organic manures, especially with the incorporation of poultry litter significantly improves the soil aggregation and microbial activities which directly help the soil to increase the soil organic carbon content. These outcomes are parallel with the findings of Raju and Larkin, (2025). Soil aggregates improved significantly with the incorporation of poultry litter (75.53%), FYM (65.01%) and enriched compost (64.48%). The role of added poultry litter enhanced soil aggregation as elevated soil microbial biomass carbon and organic matter increased the binding ability of the soil; these findings are in line of outcomes described by Li et al., (2023). Lower dispersion ratio was recorded with the addition of poultry manures (25.99) while FYM and vermicompost yielded (26.47) and (27.57) respectively. These outcomes were supported by the results obtained by Singh et al., (2007). Erosion index significantly reduced with the addition of poultry manure (8.50), FYM (8.80) and vermicompost (9.16). Control (T1) maintained the highest erosion index (12.14). The incorporation of organic amendments like poultry litter and FYM improves the structure of the soil which helps in better infiltration and root penetration ability of the crops. The soil losses may be controlled by amending these manures into the soil (Bhattacharya et al., 2023 and Rangasami et al., (2024).

    Table 3: Effect of organic manures on soil physical properties.



    Table 4: Effect of organic manures on soil chemical properties.


     
    Soil chemical properties
     
    Augmented pH of the soil were observed with the integration of poultry litter (T3) (5.73) followed by vermicompost (5.53). Yuvaraj et al., (2018) and Bolan et al., (2010) stated that the addition of organic amendments like poultry litter and vermicompost increased the soil pH neutralizing acidity and enhancing microbial decomposition of organic acids. The data of soil chemical properties is highlighted in Table 4. Poultry litter (T3) increased the organic carbon of the soil significantly (2.01%) in comparison to control (T1) noting (1.10%) showing 82% increase. Vermicompost (1.73%) and enriched compost (1.71%) also increased the soil organic carbon in comparison to control. This outcome may be because of formation of humus and higher inputs of labile C. Addition of enriched compost (T8) and goat manure (T6) registered higher CEC i.e. 7.22 and 7.14 cmol (p+) kg-1 which might be due to more negatively charged functional group in stabilized organic matter. These findings are in line with those of Chen et al., (2020). The highest available nitrogen (532.82 kg ha-1) was recorded under poultry litter which was 26.17% higher than control (422.29 kg ha-1), closely followed by enriched compost (529.93 kg ha-1) and forest litter (529.10 kg ha-1). The rise in available N with poultry litter may be due to rapid mineralization of nitrogen. These results align with the findings of DeLaune  et al. (2004). Available P peaked with enriched compost (22.82 kg ha-1) which was slightly ahead of poultry litter (22.20 kg ha-1) and forest litter (22.19 kg ha-1). Similar trends were observed by Erhunmwunse et al., (2019). Available K (331.60 kg ha-1) was observed highest in poultry litter, followed by goat manure (212.53 kg ha-1) and FYM (208.60 kg ha-1) whereas forest litter procured the lowest available K (136.73 kg ha-1). These results are in line with the findings of Toluwase et al., (2020) and Reiter and Middleton (2016) where they stated that poultry litter incorporation considerably improved the available potassium status of the soil. Available S was observed highest in enriched compost (9.89 ppm), followed by vermicompost (9.60 ppm) and FYM (9.51 ppm) and least was reported where no amendments were added (3.78 ppm). The increase in available sulphur with enriched compost and vermicompost treatments is due to the sulphur-rich organic materials and enhanced microbial decomposition. This assumption was also supported by Solanki et al., (2020) where in their study they resolved that organic manures like vermicompost and FYM significantly augments the overall soil health and productivity of cultivated garlic.

    CONCLUSION

    Based on the outcomes of the research it is clear that organic manures significantly improved soil moisture status. The treatment vermicompost performed better at early stages of crop growth, while forest litter maintained higher moisture at later stages. Poultry litter @ 5 t ha-1 noticeably enhanced soil chemical properties like pH, organic carbon, available N and K. Available P (22.82 kg ha-1) peaked with enriched compost followed by the addition of poultry litter (22.20 kg ha-1). Bulk density declined significantly with forest litter, vermicompost and enriched compost showing a reduction of 5.88% in contrast to control. The water holding capacity of the soil was highest with the incorporation of forest litter and vermicompost. The biological properties of soil were enhanced by poultry litter treatment. Soil microbial biomass carbon (220.02 µg g-1), dehydrogenase activity (4.74 µg TPF g-1 soil h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (63.53 µg (PNP) g-1 soil h-1) were significantly improved by the poultry litter treatment. Under moisture conservation forest litter and vermicompost performed better than all other treatments.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    The present study was supported by the Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Nagaland University, School of Agricultural Sciences, Medziphema Campus.
     
    Disclaimers
     
    The views and conclusions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of their affiliated institutions. The authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the information provided, but do not accept any liability for any direct or indirect losses resulting from the use of this content.
     

    CONFLICT OF INTEREST

    The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article. No funding or sponsorship influenced the design of the study, data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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