Impact of Cropping Systems on Soil Microbial Load: Evidence from Wetland Ecosystems of Wayanad District, Kerala

Abstract

This study enumerated the microbial communities in soil samples from rice, banana and arecanut from the wet lands of Wayanad district Kerala. The total viable bacterial count in the paddy field was 120x10-6 cfu, 121x10-6 cfu and 147x10-6 cfu in Nenmeni, Kaniyambatta and Pozhuthana Gramapanchayat and that of fungi was 30x10-3 cfu, 32 x10-3 cfu and 37 x10-3 cfu. Likewise, the total viable count of bacteria in areca nut at Nenmeni, Kaniyambatta and Pozhuthana Gramapanchayat was 66 x10-6 cfu, 80 x10-6 cfu, 118 x10-6 cfu and that of fungi was 14 x10-3 cfu, 18 x10-3 cfu, and 30 x10-3 cfu. The total viable count of bacteria in banana field at Nenmeni, and Pozhuthana was 51 x10-6 cfu and that of Kaniyambatta Gramapanchayath was 56 x10-6 cfu. The viable fungal colony at Nenmeni and Kaniyambatta was 18x10-3 cfu and that of Pozhuthana Gramapanchayath was 24 x10-6 cfu.