Effect of pepper-garlic intercropping system on soil microbial and bio-chemical properties

The effects of pepper-garlic intercropping system on soil microorganisms i.e. bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes; soil enzymes such as invertase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and catalase; soil chemical properties such as pH and electrical conductivity were investigated under plastic tunnel cultivation. Two intercropping models in which pepper were intercropped in standing normal garlic (sowing clove of cv. G026 for harvesting of scape and bulb) and green garlic (sowing bulb of cv. G064 for harvesting of green garlic). Intercropping, in which pepper was planted on each side of garlic row plantation were compared to mono-culture cultivation of pepper. Results showed that bacteria population significantly increased in the pepper plot intercropped with normal garlic, while actinomycetes were significantly enhanced in pepper plot intercropped with green garlic. Populations of fungi were significantly inhibited in pepper-green garlic intercropped plot. Intercropping of green garlic significantly increased the activities of invertase, alkaline phosphatase and catalase, while urease was promisingly higher in pepper plot intercropped with normal garlic. Soil pH was affected by intercropping and low level was measured in plot intercropped with normal garlic. Furthermore, soil EC was significantly higher in pepper plot intercropped with normal garlic. It is concluded that intercropping pepper with green garlic improved soil microbial and biochemical properties as compared to monocropping.