In a rice-wheat system compost alone is not adequate. Balanced mineral fertilizers should be included alone with compost to improve crop productively. Organic sources of fertilizers are a key factor for maintaining soil fertility and improving crop productivity in the longer term. The application of compost has improved organic matter content, exchangeable calcium, magnesium and the cation exchange capacity of soils. No significant changes were found in PH levels between the treatments when organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers were applied. There is a strong indication that chemical fertilizers, if applied alone, increases total exchangeable acidity. DTPA extractable micronutrients: Zn, Cu, and Mn did not change significantly over the five year period irrespective of treatments, but there is an indication of the decreasing availability of Zn from heavy chemical fertilization. Available Fe is in the high range and increases the available Fe from compost treatments.

In a rice-wheat system compost alone is not adequate. Balanced mineral fertilizers should be included alone with compost to improve crop productively. Organic sources of fertilizers are a key factor for maintaining soil fertility and improving crop productivity in the longer term. The application of compost has improved organic matter content, exchangeable calcium, magnesium and the cation exchange capacity of soils. No significant changes were found in PH levels between the treatments when organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers were applied. There is a strong indication that chemical fertilizers, if applied alone, increases total exchangeable acidity. DTPA extractable micronutrients: Zn, Cu, and Mn did not change significantly over the five year period irrespective of treatments, but there is an indication of the decreasing availability of Zn from heavy chemical fertilization. Available Fe is in the high range and increases the available Fe from compost treatments.