Effect of Nutrient Management on Physico-chemical Properties of Soil in Indian Mustard

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the IFS Unit Instructional Farm of Banda University of Agriculture & Technology, Banda (UP) during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24. The study aimed to examine the impact of nutrient management on the soil properties of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) grown in clay loam soil. Mustard, an essential oilseed crop in India, encounters issues like low productivity and diminished soil fertility caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The paper highlights the importance of integrating chemical and organic sources, such as vermicompost. Vermicompost enriched with biofertilizers, especially Azotobacter, PSB, PMB, NPK Consortia, and ZSB demonstrates significant potential in improving the soil conditions for mustard crops. The experiment utilized a split plot design (SPD) with four main factors in the main plot and four levels in the sub-plot, resulting in sixteen treatment combinations, each applied three times. The soil at the experimental site was characterized by a clay loam texture and low levels of organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and sulfur, with moderate levels of available potash. The main plot treatments consisted of different fertility levels: 50% RNPKS, 75% RNPKS, 100% RNPKS and 125% RNPKS. Each main plot was further divided into four sub-plots, each with a combination of micronutrients and enriched vermicompost. The results indicated that the treatment of either 125% or 100% RNPKS and 2.5 kg Zn + 0.5 kg B + 500 kg enriched vermicompost ha-1 was superior in improving the soil properties for Indian mustard.