author(s)
Mousumi Malo

abstract
A field experiment was conducted on quality protein maize during rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 at BCKV, West Bengal constituting three irrigation schedules viz. IW/CPE 0.5 (I₁), 0.75 (I₂) and 1.0 (I₃) in main plots and four nutrient management practices viz. control (N₁), 100% RDF (N₂), 75% RDF + 2 t/ha vermicompost (N₃) and 75% RDF + 2 t/ha vermicompost + 25 kg/ha ZnSO₄ (N₄) in sub plots in split-plot design with three replications. Results suggested that I₃ recorded the lowest temperature at 15 and 20 cm soil depth at 60, 90 and 120 DAS (18.43⁰C, 24.74⁰C, 33.84⁰C and 17.75⁰C, 23.18⁰C, 31.01⁰C during 2017-18 and 18.76⁰C, 23.94⁰C, 29.41⁰C and 18.03⁰C, 22.12⁰C, 27.48⁰C during 2018-19 respectively). Nutrient application did not pose much influence on soil temperature but it affected microbial population significantly. Besides, I₃N₄ showed highest microflora population i.e. 248.00 and 247.00 CFU×10⁶ total bacteria; 112.00 and 115.00 CFU×10⁵ total actinomycetes and 8.67 and 12.67 CFU×10⁴ total fungi during 2017-18 and 2018-19 at 60 and 90 DAS, respectively. The study shows that the pattern of microflora population was not affected significantly by soil temperature and I₃N₄ can be recommended for improving microbial communities in rhizosphere in new alluvial zone of West Bengal.