Impact of different Nutrient Management Practices on Nutrient Uptake in Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.)

Abstract

Green gram is an important native pulse crop extensively cultivated across South and the Southeast Asia. It serves as a significant source of plant based protein, especially for vegetarian populations. Heavy reliance on inorganic fertilizers alone has accelerated micronutrient depletion and environmental degradation, ultimately threatening the sustainability of diverse cropping systems over time. Considering the simultaneous challenge of preserving soil health and improving input-use efficiency, the evaluation of integrated, environmentally sustainable nutrient management strategies becomes imperative. Hence, the present study was designed to examine the effects of organic manures, chemical fertilizers, and cow based bioformulations on nutrient content and nutrient uptake in green gram. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2023 at Research Farm, Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Mahendergarh, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The experiment consisted of total nine treatments T₁ (Control), T₂ (RDN through FYM), T₃ (RDF + 5.0 t FYM ha⁻¹), T₄ (75% RDF + 7.5 t FYM ha⁻¹), T₅ (RDN through Vermicompost), T₆ (RDF + 2.5 t Vermicompost ha⁻¹), T₇ (75% RDF + 5.0 t Vermicompost ha⁻¹), T₈ (Cow based bio formulation), T₉ (RDF) that were laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The results demonstrated that the integrated application of RDF + 2.5 t VC ha-1 (T₆), significantly improved nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake in green gram as compared to sole organic, cow based bio formulations and the control treatment, but statistically at par with other integrated nutrient management treatments and RDF alone. Overall, these findings underscore the effectiveness of integrated nutrient management practice of RDF + 2.5 t Vermicompost in enhancing nutrient use efficiency of green gram cultivation.