Soil quality and microbial diversity across organic and conventional coffee in central Western Ghats India

The green revolution, characterized by intensive farming practices and synthetic agrochemicals, has been associated with concerns about ecological balance and soil health. This study investigated the impact of organic and conventional farming practices on soil quality and microbial diversity in coffee plantations within the Western Ghats. Soil samples from organic and conventional coffee farms in Ponnampet, Kodagu, Karnataka were collected for physical, chemical, and biological analysis. Organic soils had lower bulk density and particle density, suggesting improved structure and porosity. Organic systems had higher levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, and exchangeable calcium and magnesium. Organic coffee farming exhibited the highest soil quality index value of 0.98, which was higher than that of conventional coffee farming practice (0.87). Organic farming systems demonstrated significantly higher soil microbial respiration rates, reflecting a more active and diverse microbial community. Organic coffee farming systems not only promoted higher microbial biomass but also the higher value of Shannon-Wiener's index, Simpson's Diversity Index, Shannon and Simpson evenness index enhanced microbial diversity. These findings underscore the potential of organic coffee farming for sustainable agriculture in the Western Ghats, particularly in terms of enhancing soil health, promoting microbial diversity, and improving long-term soil quality compared to conventional practices.