Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Vegetable Production and Soil Health Improvement

Abstract

Vegetable production systems are among the most nutrient- and management-intensive forms of agriculture, frequently characterised by high fertiliser inputs, short crop cycles, repeated tillage, and (in some regions) protected cultivation with year-round cropping. While these practices support high productivity, they also accelerate soil organic matter decline, nutrient imbalances, soil acidification or salinisation, and losses of reactive nitrogen and phosphorus to surrounding ecosystems. Integrated nutrient management (INM) has emerged as a practical and scientifically grounded pathway to reconcile high vegetable yields with long-term soil health and environmental performance. It is a tool that can offer good options and economic choices to supply macro and micronutrients to plants and also contribute to reducing the dependence on externally purchased chemical fertilizers besides protecting soil health.  INM can be understood as the coordinated use of mineral fertilisers, organic amendments, and biologically mediated nutrient processes to synchronise nutrient supply with crop demand while maintaining or rebuilding soil functions. This review synthesises evidence on how INM affects soil health indicators (organic carbon dynamics, microbial community structure and function, enzymatic activity, and nutrient transformation pathways) and how these changes translate into yield stability, quality outcomes, and reduced nutrient losses. A structured literature search was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed (January 2000 to October 2025) using specific search strings combining integrated nutrient management and vegetable system terms, prioritizing peer-reviewed articles and reviews reporting vegetable yield, quality, and soil health indicators. Particular emphasis is placed on intensive greenhouse vegetable systems and high-input open-field vegetable production, where the risks of nitrate leaching, nitrous oxide emissions, and nutrient accumulation are substantial. Across diverse contexts, evidence indicates that partial substitution of mineral fertilisers with organic nutrient sources, combined with improved timing and water–nutrient coordination, can maintain or increase vegetable yields while enhancing soil biological activity and nutrient cycling efficiency. The review concludes by proposing a soil-health-centred INM framework for vegetables that links management decisions to measurable soil function targets, and by identifying research priorities for microbiome-informed amendments, site-specific nutrient strategies, and contaminant-safe recycling of organic resources.