Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on physico-chemical Properties of Soils under Pearl Millet-mustard Cropping Sequence in Typic Ustochrepts

Abstract

In northern plains of India, pearl millet-mustard is an efficient, potential and sustainable cropping system (Parihar et al., 2009). There are indications of stagnation or even decline in the productivity of pearl millet-mustard cropping system due to low soil organic matter, soil nutrient deficiency (secondry and micronutrients) and non-availability of fertilizers to meet farmers’ needs. To ameliorate the soil, it is necessary to use organic manures like FYM in combination with inorganic fertilizers to enriched the soils with essential plant nutrients and maintain good soil health. The objective of study is nutrient management on crop productivity and other soil properties. The experiments were conducted during 2018-19 using pearl millet-mustard with sixteen fertilizer treatments in RCBD with three replications. The treatments are: Control ( T1), 50 % NPK ( T2), 75 % NPK ( T3), 100 % NPK ( T4), 150 % NPK ( T5), 100 % NP ( T6), 100 % N ( T7), 100 % NPK-S ( T8), 100 % NPK + 25 Kg ZnSO4/ha ( T9), 100 % NPK + 50 Kg FeSO4/ha ( T10), 100 % NPK + 1% FeSO4 spray at 25 and 45 DAS ( T11), 100 % NPK + Azotobacter + PSB ( T12), 50 % NPK + FYM ( T13), 75 % NPK + FYM ( T14), 100 % NPK + FYM ( T15), 100 % NPK + FYM + Azotobacter + PSB ( T16). The SOC content increased with the applications of 100% NPK, 150% NPK, 50% NPK + FYM and 75 %NPK + FYM and 100 % NPK + FYM while it decreased with the application of 50% NPK and 75% NPK, 100%N, 100% NPS-K and control. The optimal dose of fertility (100%NPK) with or without FYM, Azotobactor and PSB and 150% NPK treatment showed build up of all major nutrients NPK while the soil physical and chemical properties were improved relative to the 50% NPK and 75% NPK, 100%N, 100% NPS-K and the control. It improved the productivity, soil physical as well as chemical properties over the sub-optimal dose fertility treatments with or without FYM, imbalanced fertilizer treatments and control.