Results:
Bacterial population in bulk soil, loosely and strongly adhered soil, and root interior under three fallow cycles jhum field crops based on culturable approaches: The bacterial populations (log cfu g-1 soil) were not influenced by the media, so they are pooled for the following analyses. The bacterial population was greatest in the SARS, followed by the LARS and BS that were similar to one another; RI populations were the least (F = 156, p < 0.001; Fig. 1). Broadly, the 8-year fallow had significantly greater populations than the 5-year with the 20-year intermediate (F = 3.94, p < 0.05) excepting in RI where the 20-year fallow had the greatest populations (niche x age interaction: F = 10.4, p < 0.001). Although the crop had a minimally significant effect on bacterial populations (F = 3.05, p = 0.05), the SARS population for rice was less than the other crops, whereas the RI was more (crop x niche interaction: F = 13.4, p < 0.001) and maize had the least bacteria under 20-year fallows whereas arahar had most under this aged fallow (crop x age interaction: F = 5.12, p < 0.001) (Fig 1 a-d).