Effects of tillage practices and sources of nutrients on soil microbial population and grain yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.)

A field experiment on ‘Effect of Tillage Practices and Sources of nutrients on soil Microbial population and Grain yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.)’ conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai during 2018-19 and 2019-20. The experiment laid out in a split-plot design with replicated thrice. The experiment consisted of three main plot treatments viz., Conventional tillage (T1), Minimum tillage (T2), and Plough sole tillage (T3) and subplot has six treatments with different sources of nutrients viz., Farm Yard Manure + biofertilizer (O1), Vermicompost + biofertilizer, (O2), Goat manure + biofertilizer (O3), Poultry manure + biofertilizer (O4), Press mud + biofertilizer (O5) and control (100% RDF) (O6). The total microbial population viz., bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes was found higher in the main plot treatment of minimum tillage (T2) during first year and were comparable with conventional tillage (T1) during second year. In the subplot, vermicompost + biofertilizer (O2) recorded a higher microbial population followed by poultry manure + biofertilizer (O4) during first year and was comparable with poultry manure + biofertilizer (O4) during second year. Among the treatment combinations, the minimum tillage with vermicompost + biofertilizer (T2O2) recorded a higher microbial population during first year and was comparable with minimum tillage combination with poultry manure + biofertilizer (T2O4) during second year. Higher yield of finger millet recorded with conventional tillage with 100% RDF as control (T1O6) during first year and was comparable with minimum tillage combination with poultry manure + biofertilizer (T2O4) during second year. Even as the conventional tillage practice with 100% RDF as control recorded higher yield. The holistic approaches of minimum tillage combination with poultry manure + bio fertilizer (T2O4) can be recommended as best practice to the farmers.