Not AvailableInceptisols in the submountainous region of Indo-Gangetic Plains in India are known
as low productive areas due to several constraints like decline in soil organic matter
and fertility, deterioration of soil physical and biological properties. The present study
was conducted with tillage as main treatments and integrated nutrient management as
subtreatments to improve soil quality and to identify the key indicators of soil quality
after 5 years of experimentation in maize–wheat cropping system at Ballowal
Saunkhri. Conventional tillage (CT) + interculture (IC) maintained significantly higher
soil quality indices (SQI) of 1.12 which was at par with 50% CT + IC + chemical weed
control (CWC) (1.08). Application of nitrogen (N) through 50% (organic) + 50%
(inorganic) maintained higher soil quality with SQI of 1.10 followed by application of
100% N through organics (1.08). The results indicated that reduction in the intensity of
tillage to 50% with interculture practices and combined use of organic and inorganic
fertilizers maintained higher soil quality in these degraded Inceptisols. The methods of
principal component analysis and computation of SQI adopted will be highly useful to
future researchers, land managers, and students at locations across the world having
similar climatic and edaphic conditions.Not Availabl