Table 2.
Physicochemical properties of soil (0–15 cm) from experimental fields prior to seeding.
| Soil property | Soil type 1 | Soil type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sand | 57% | 57% |
| Silt | 24% | 24% |
| Clay | 19% | 19% |
| Texture class | Sandy clay loam | Sandy clay loam |
| pH | 7.8 ± 0.1 | 7.7 ± 0 |
| Electrical conductivity (EC) d sm−1 | 1.7 ± 0.01 | 1.8 ± 0.02 |
| Saturation percentage (SP) | 28 ± 1 | 31 ± 1.2 |
| Field capacity (%) (FC) | 14 ± 0.2 | 15.5 ± 0.4 |
| CO3 meq L−1 | Nil | Nil |
| HCO3 meL−1 | 2.5 ± 0.3 | 5.2 ± 0.1 |
| Cl meL−1 | 2.8 ± 0.0 | 2.9 ± 0.1 |
| Ca+Mg meL−1 | 8.6 ± 1.2 | 13.0 ± 1.5 |
| Na meL−1 | 7.4 ± 1.1 | 4.1 ± 1.2 |
| K meL−1 | 0.6 ± 0.01 | 0.5 ± 0.03 |
| Sodium absorption ratio (SAR) | 3.6 ± 0.3 | 1.6 ± 0.7 |
| Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) | nil | nil |
| Total N (g Kg−1) | 0.54 | 0.98 |
| Available P (mg Kg−1) | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Organic matter (%) | 0.66 | 0.99 |
| Background bacterial population | 3 × 105 | 7.5 × 109 |
| Previous crops | Not vegetated for last 8 years | Regular legume (mungbean, chickpea), castor growing soil |
| Fertility status | Marginal | Fertile |