Impact of Organic Amendments- Seaweed and Vermicompost on Soil Health Parameters in North India

During recent decades, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has increased at a rapid rate and caused the deterioration of soil organic matter and the nutritional value of soil. For the restoration of soil health, an experimental study was conducted for three consecutive years (2019 to 2021) in a field of North India in a randomized block design with conventional and organic farming systems. In organic farming, vermicompost and seaweed were used, and urea and muriate of potash were used in conventional farming. Control and treated experiments of soil organic matter and nutritional value were performed in both systems with rabi and kharif crops. Soil samples were taken at 0-100 cm depth for analysis. In 2019, soil was deficient in soil organic carbon (SOC), OM (organic matter) and other macroelements (N, P, K) and microelements (Fe, Zn, S). In the final year of experiments, SOC was found to increase (0.710 %) in organic farming compared to conventional farming (0.591%). N amount also increased in 2021 in organic farming (2.101 kg/ha) compared to conventional farming (1.210 kg/ha). Other macro and microelements were also found to be increased in organic farming so that it can be the best alternative for future farming systems.