Vertisols have showed 11.58, 26.92 and 19.80 % higher amount of available nitrogen, 20.42, 36.65 and 16.72 % higher amount of total nitrogen in 0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm depths, respectively over inceptisols. CS1 has maintained higher amount of available nitrogen content (237 kg ha-1) followed by CS2 (219 kg ha-1) > CS4 (189 kg ha-1) > CS3 (184 kg ha-1) at surface soil (0-15 cm). In vertisols, ammonical nitrogen contributed 48.72 percent to available N, whereas in inceptisols it was 44.46%. Nitrate nitrogen content was recorded significantly higher under vertisols at 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil depths. At 30-45 cm depth inceptisols recorded significantly higher values. However, NO3-N contributed 32.52 percent towards available N in inceptisols, whereas the share was 30.33 percent under vertisols. In the soil profile, percent contribution of ammonical nitrogen to available N followed as CS1 > CS4 > CS2 > CS3 with the values 53.13, 48.26, 44.49 and 41.49 %. On the other hand, percent contribution of NO3 –N towards available N followed different order as CS4 (40.08%) > CS3 (37.42%) > CS2 (32.44%) > CS1 (20.92%).

Under cropping systems, microbial biomass plays a major role in nutrient and energy flow of soil. Similarly, urease and dehydrogenase activities are essential for nitrogen cycle and determining biological index of soils, respectively. However, their information is minimal at major cropping systems of this region. Therefore, surface soil (00-15 cm) samples were collected after 8 years from rice-rice, rice-maize, cotton and turmeric-sesame cropping systems at soils of Inceptisols and Vertisols of Northern Telangana zone during kharif 2019. A five replicated soil samples were collected, assessed and statistically analyzed with factorial randomized block design. The results revealed that the forms of microbial biomass carbon (14%) and nitrogen (22%), urease (29%) and dehydrogenase (20%) activity were found to be higher in cropping systems under Vertisols compared to Inceptisols. Among the cropping systems, rice-rice showed significantly higher biological properties than others. The interactions are significant for urease activity. Urease and dehydrogenase activity is positively correlated with soil available nitrogen and organic carbon content of soils, respectively of cropping systems.