Short term effect of tillage, residue and biofertilizer on some physicochemical soil attributes under Teraiagro-ecological zone of West Bengal, India

Improvement of physicochemical status of soil always should be of major concern before adopting any practices. In the present investigation, we assessed tillage, crop residue and biofertilizer on some physicochemical properties of soil.Results revealed that pH and bulk density both observed to get higher in their level proportionally with depths. Residue and biofertilizers application significantly (p less than 0.05) improved organic carbon contentirrespective of the tillage practice.Higher available nitrogen content observed with the application of residue and biofertilizer in both zero-tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT)at surface layer (0-5 cm). ZT with residue application recorded highest phosphorus (P) at 0-5 cm depth. Residue and biofertilizer both increased the P at 0-10 cm layer; however,biofertilizer involving PSB had better effect in CT than the ZT. Residue application increased the K availability in the plough layer but the effect of biofertilizer found to be restricted to top layer.