Influence of Different Micronutrient Grades on Nutrient Availability, Nutrient Use Efficiency, Nutrient Mining and Economics of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important leguminous vegetable crop valued for its dietary protein, minerals and role in improving farm income. Balanced micronutrient management is essential for sustaining soil fertility, improving nutrient-use efficiency and enhancing crop productivity. This study evaluated the influence of different micronutrient grades on post-harvest nutrient availability, nutrient-use efficiency, nutrient balance and economics of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. ‘Phule Vijaya’. The field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2023–2024 at the Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with ten treatments and three replications. The soil was clayey, calcareous, moderately alkaline, low in organic carbon, available nitrogen and available phosphorus, high in available potassium, sufficient in sulphur and deficient in DTPA-extractable Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn and available B. The treatment RDF + Grade-I(a) @ 25 kg ha⁻¹ (gypsum-based) recorded the highest post-harvest available N (204.89 kg ha⁻¹), P (22.56 kg ha⁻¹) and K (839.50 kg ha⁻¹). The same treatment also recorded the highest apparent nutrient recovery and agronomic efficiency for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The highest actual gains of nitrogen (72.91 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus (10.70 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium (127.72 kg ha⁻¹) were also observed under this treatment. Economically, RDF + Grade-I(a) @ 25 kg ha⁻¹ produced the highest yield (1105.41 kg ha⁻¹), gross monetary return (₹72,711.17), net monetary return (₹43,226.17) and B:C ratio (2.47). The results indicate that gypsum-based soil-applied micronutrient formulation with RDF improved nutrient management and profitability in French bean under the study conditions.