Continuous addition of chemical fertilizers poses problems like toxicity due to high amounts of salts as residues of fertilizer and deterioration of the physico-chemical properties. Organic manure ameliorates this problem as organic matter helps in increasing adsorptive power of soil for cations and anions particularly phosphate and nitrate. The continuous use of chemical fertilizers over a long period may cause imbalance in the microbial population and there by indirectly affect the biological

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... properties. The microbial biomass, which is the total sum of all microorganisms present in soil, serves as a temporary sink for nutrients including nitrogen and can be considered as an index of soil fertility. Soil harbours dynamic population of microorganisms, which play major role in decomposition of organic matter and transformation of plant nutrients. The availability of organically bounded nitrogen through transformation in soil to the plant mainly depends on the population of microorganisms, which may be influenced by the application of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure.