Soil organic carbon dynamics and microbial responses to intercropping sweet corn with legumes under different row arrangements in coastal Odisha
Abstract
Intercropping of cereals and legumes can improve resource-use efficiency and soil fertility compared with monocropping. A field experiment was conducted during rabi , 2023–24 at OUAT, Bhubaneswar, India to evaluate the effects of sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) intercropped with cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) and black gram ( Vigna mungo ) under different row arrangements on soil organic carbon (SOC), biological properties and soil fertility. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design comparing sole sweet corn with intercropping systems in 1:1, 1:2 and paired 2:2 row arrangements. Soil samples collected at 30 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) and at harvest were analysed for soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial populations, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil basal respiration (SBR), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), urease activity (UA) and available primary soil nutrients. Intercropping generally improved SOC and soil biological properties compared with sole sweet corn, with the paired 2:2 row arrangement showing the most pronounced response. At harvest, this treatment increased SOC by 5.9% and MBC by 67% over sole sweet corn and recorded the highest DHA (1.46 µg TPF g ⁻¹ soil h ⁻¹ ) and UA (67.0 µg NH ₄ ⁺ -N g ⁻¹ soil h ⁻¹ ). It also recorded higher SBR and enhanced bacterial and actinomycete populations whereas fungal population remained unaffected. The paired 2:2 arrangement also enhanced available primary soil nutrients with the strongest response observed at harvest. These findings indicate that appropriate spatial arrangement in sweet corn-legume intercropping can improve soil organic carbon and microbial functioning within a cropping season. Paired-row intercropping therefore shows potential as a soil fertility management strategy for sustainable sweet corn production under the East and South Eastern Coastal Plain of Odisha.
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BibTeX
@article{pattnaik2026soil,
title = {{Soil organic carbon dynamics and microbial responses to intercropping sweet corn with legumes under different row arrangements in coastal Odisha}},
author = {Sai Shree Pattnaik and Ayesha Mohanty and Prabhasmita Shatpathy and Ipsita Kar and Meenakhi Prusty and Kaushik Kumar Panigrahi and Bibhuti Bhusan Behera and Biswajit Sinha and Ajit Kumar Sahoo and Madhusmita Pradhan and Laxmipreeya Behera and Harihar Jena and Rabindra Kumar Nayak},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-74240-w},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74240-w},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Soil organic carbon dynamics and microbial responses to intercropping sweet corn with legumes under different row arrangements in coastal Odisha
AU - Sai Shree Pattnaik
AU - Ayesha Mohanty
AU - Prabhasmita Shatpathy
AU - Ipsita Kar
AU - Meenakhi Prusty
AU - Kaushik Kumar Panigrahi
AU - Bibhuti Bhusan Behera
AU - Biswajit Sinha
AU - Ajit Kumar Sahoo
AU - Madhusmita Pradhan
AU - Laxmipreeya Behera
AU - Harihar Jena
AU - Rabindra Kumar Nayak
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-74240-w
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-74240-w
AB - Intercropping of cereals and legumes can improve resource-use efficiency and soil fertility compared with monocropping. A field experiment was conducted during rabi , 2023–24 at OUAT, Bhubaneswar, India to evaluate the effects of sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) intercropped with cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) and black gram ( Vigna mungo ) under different row arrangements on soil organic carbon (SOC), biological properties and soil fertility. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design comparing sole sweet corn with intercropping systems in 1:1, 1:2 and paired 2:2 row arrangements. Soil samples collected at 30 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) and at harvest were analysed for soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial populations, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil basal respiration (SBR), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), urease activity (UA) and available primary soil nutrients. Intercropping generally improved SOC and soil biological properties compared with sole sweet corn, with the paired 2:2 row arrangement showing the most pronounced response. At harvest, this treatment increased SOC by 5.9% and MBC by 67% over sole sweet corn and recorded the highest DHA (1.46 µg TPF g ⁻¹ soil h ⁻¹ ) and UA (67.0 µg NH ₄ ⁺ -N g ⁻¹ soil h ⁻¹ ). It also recorded higher SBR and enhanced bacterial and actinomycete populations whereas fungal population remained unaffected. The paired 2:2 arrangement also enhanced available primary soil nutrients with the strongest response observed at harvest. These findings indicate that appropriate spatial arrangement in sweet corn-legume intercropping can improve soil organic carbon and microbial functioning within a cropping season. Paired-row intercropping therefore shows potential as a soil fertility management strategy for sustainable sweet corn production under the East and South Eastern Coastal Plain of Odisha.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -