Table 6 Temporal changes in protein content (%) of crop residues during incubation following residue incorporation.

T₁: Maize stover

4.81 ± 0.34^e

4.57 ± 0.41^cd

4.29 ± 0.30^e

3.88 ± 0.27^e

3.19 ± 0.22^e

2.60 ± 0.31^b

1.97 ± 0.27^d

T₂: Rice straw

4.56 ± 0.16^e

4.33 ± 0.15^d

4.04 ± 0.15^e

3.61 ± 0.13^e

3.40 ± 0.12^e

2.78 ± 0.34^b

2.11 ± 0.17^cd

T₃: Cotton stalks

5.13 ± 0.27^e

4.85 ± 0.46^cd

4.51 ± 0.24^e

4.01 ± 0.21^e

3.43 ± 0.18^e

2.82 ± 0.36^b

2.15 ± 0.41^cd

T₄: Redgram stalks

4.38 ± 0.19^e

4.18 ± 0.68^d

3.95 ± 0.17^e

3.59 ± 0.16^e

3.13 ± 0.14^e

2.56 ± 0.23^b

1.95 ± 0.06^d

T₅: Greengram residue

13.75 ± 0.63^b

12.73 ± 0.54^b

11.48 ± 0.53^bc

9.85 ± 0.45^bc

7.88 ± 0.36^bc

6.42 ± 0.25^a

5.24 ± 0.19^ab

T₆: Blackgram residue

14.38 ± 0.66^b

13.46 ± 0.32^ab

12.27 ± 0.56^ab

10.58 ± 0.48^ab

8.52 ± 0.39^ab

6.91 ± 0.69^a

5.67 ± 0.42^ab

T₇: Sunhemp residue

16.25 ± 0.74^a

14.87 ± 1.70^a

13.29 ± 0.61^a

11.29 ± 0.52^a

8.97 ± 0.41^a

7.36 ± 0.67^a

6.05 ± 0.47^a

T₈: Soyabean residue

12.38 ± 0.33^c

11.61 ± 0.75^b

10.65 ± 0.28^c

9.27 ± 0.25^c

7.56 ± 0.20^c

6.15 ± 0.71^a

5.03 ± 0.23^b

T₉: Sorghum stover

7.00 ± 0.37^d

6.59 ± 0.53^c

6.08 ± 0.32^d

5.36 ± 0.28^d

4.57 ± 0.24^d

3.75 ± 0.03^b

2.89 ± 0.25^c

HSD (p < 0.05)

1.31

2.13

1.11

0.96

0.78

1.31

0.86