Assessment of Integrated Nutrient Management for Enhancing Productivity of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) productivity depends on balanced nutrient supply, and integrated nutrient management offers a means of combining mineral fertilisers with organic nutrient sources. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2025–26 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Tantia University, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, to assess combinations of the recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM), and vermicompost. The experiment used a randomised block design with three replications and eight treatments ranging from the control to 100%, 75%, and 50% RDF combined with FYM or vermicompost. Yield attributes and yield differed among treatments. Treatment T₄ (100% RDF + vermicompost at 2.5 t/ha) recorded the highest number of effective tillers (322.33/m²), grains per spike (49.64), spike length (8.21 cm), test weight (42.59 g), grain yield (54.72 q/ha), straw yield (60.77 q/ha), and biological yield (115.49 q/ha). These responses were generally followed by T₃ (100% RDF + FYM at 10 t/ha) and T₂ (100% RDF). Harvest index did not differ significantly among treatments and ranged from 45.10% to 47.76%. Under the conditions of this experiment, the combination of 100% RDF with vermicompost produced the highest measured yield attributes and yields, indicating the potential value of integrating organic nutrient sources with the recommended fertiliser dose for barley production in the irrigated north-western plain of Rajasthan.