Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Chemical properties of Soil, Nutrient Content and Uptake and Economics under Wheat Agroecosystem

Abstract

During the rabi season of 2022-23, a field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. The experiment aimed to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on soil chemical properties, nutrient content and uptake, and the economics of a wheat agroecosystem. The experiment was conducted using a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications and 11 treatments involving wheat var. DBW-187. The results revealed that INM significantly affected soil fertility, nutrient content and uptake, and the economics of wheat. The treatment comprising 100% RDF + vermicompost at 5 t ha-1 + FYM at 10 t ha-1 + Azotobacter at 6 kg ha-1 recorded significantly higher organic carbon (0.91%), available N (339.33 kg ha-1), available P (24.99 kg ha-1), available K (209.67 kg ha-1), nutrient contents in grain and straw [N (2.71% and 0.67%), P (0.74% and 0.15%), and K (0.81% and 2.13%)], nutrient uptake in grain and straw [N (143.54 and 53.52 kg ha-1), P (39.19 and 11.98 kg ha-1), and K (42.90 and 170.16 kg ha-1)], the highest net return (Rs. 114,070 ha-1), and the highest B:C ratio (1.82). The treatment comprising 100% RDF combined with vermicompost at 5 t ha-1 and Azotobacter at 6 kg ha-1 produced lower values than the best-performing treatment. The integrated application of RDF, vermicompost, FYM, and Azotobacter was effective in improving nutrient use and economic returns in wheat under the experimental conditions.