RESPONSE OF SOME SOIL MESO-FAUNAL AND MACRO-FAUNAL POPULATIONS TO SOIL-MANAGEMENT DURING CROP AND FALLOW PERIODS ON A SEMIARID TROPICAL ALFISOL (INDIA)

The effects of 15 soil management treatments on population densities o f soil microarthropods and earthworms, and earthworm biomass were exam ined during the crop (wet) and fallow (dry) periods on a semi-arid tro pical Alfisol. The densities of Acarina, Collembola and miscellaneous microarthropods and earthworms, and earthworm biomass were significant ly higher during the crop period than that of the fallow period (P<0.0 5) across the treatments. Acarina and Collembola densities were higher in shallow tillage with rice straw (5 t/ha) treatment, while miscella neous microarthropods were higher in prior Cenchrus ciliaris treatment during the crop period, and they were lower in shallow tillage no str aw + reduced N, prior Stylosanthes hamata and zero tillage bare treatm ents respectively. Acarina and Collembola densities showed significant differences across the treatments (P<0.05). Endogeic earthworms viz., Octochaetona phillotti (Michaelsen) and Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) we re recorded. Their juveniles outnumbered the adults. They were higher in shallow tillage no farmyard manure (FYM) and reduced N treatment an d in shallow tillage FYM (15 t/ha) treatment and lower in prior C. cil iaris + S. hamata treatment during the crop season. Their juvenile den sities were significantly different across the treatments (P<0.01). Th e earthworm biomass was higher in shallow tillage FYM (15 t/ha) treatm ent and lower in shallow tillage reduced N treatment during the crop p eriod. It was higher in shallow tillage FYM (15 t/ha) and lower in pri or pigeonpea + S. hamata treatment during the fallow period. However, the biomass significantly differed across the treatment only during th e crop period (P<0.05).