Impact of crop covers on soil properties, runoff, soil-nutrients losses and crop productivity in Vertisols of central India

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the crop covers for their impact on soil and nutrient losses through runoff and status of soil organic carbon (SOC) and other structural parameters of vertisol. Seven treatments consisted of three sole crop covers viz., soybean, maize and pigeon pea and three intercrop covers namely soybean+ maize (1:1), soybean + pigeon pea (2:1) and maize + pigeon pea (1:1) along with one cultivated fallow (control). Results obtained over two years of experimentation revealed that the highest runoff (208 mm) and soil loss (2.87 t ha−1) was recorded higher under cultivated fallow as compared to sole as well as intercrops in both the years. Among the crop cover treatments, the runoff and soil loss was significantly higher under sole pigeon pea (177 mm and 2.15 t ha−1), respectively followed by sole maize (167 mm and 1.99 t ha−1), maize + pigeon pea (140 mm and 1.60 t ha−1), soybean + maize (135 mm and 1.48 t ha−1), soybean + pigeon pea (132 mm and 1.34 t ha−1) intercrops and lowest was under soybean sole crop (132 mm and 1.48 t ha−1). The losses of soil organic carbon (23.55 kg ha−1) and total NPK (5.59, 0.65, 23.91 kg ha−1) were the highest under cultivated fallow over sole and intercrops. The losses of SOC and total NPK were lower under sole soybean and its intercrops as compared to sole crops of maize and pigeon pea. System productivity in term of soybean equivalent yield (SEY) was significantly higher under maize + pigeon pea (5164 kg ha−1) and soybean + maize (3193 kg ha−1) as compared to soybean yield. Therefore, the combinations of maize + pigeon pea as an intercrop is the best options in reducing runoff, soil nutrient losses and sustaining crop productivity of system