Soil Fertility and Yield of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.) as Influenced by Phosphorus Management Practices in Sandy Loam Soils

Abstract

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) is an important small millet crop grown in India and has the pride of place in having highest productivity among millets. However, the productivity comes down in low available soil phosphorus areas where finger millet is grown. A field experiment was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Perumalapalle, Tirupati, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India during kharif, 2018 on sandy loam soil to study the effect of phosphorus fertilizer, PSB and VAM on soil fertility status and yield of finger millet. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments consists of combination of phosphorus fertilizer, PSB and VAM and replicated thrice. Soil samples were collected at initial and after harvest and analyzed for physico-chemical, chemical properties and grain yield was recorded after harvest. The results revealed that application of PSB, VAM along with phosphorus fertilizer exerted significant effect on available N, P2O5, K2O, S and DTPA extractable micronutrients. Significantly  the highest  available N (150 kg ha-1), P2O5 (42.34 kg ha-1 ),  K2O (227 kg ha-1 ), S (9.57 mg kg-1 ),  DTPA extractable Manganese (38.67 mg kg-1) was registered with application of 100 %  RDP + PSB @ 750 ml ha-1 + VAM @ 12.5 kg ha-1 (T6). Moreover, this treatment led to the highest recorded grain yield of finger millet, achieving 4328 kg ha-1. Physico-chemical properties (pH, EC and OC) was non significant with phosphorus management practices. In conclusion, the results underscore the positive impact of the combined application of PSB, VAM, and phosphorus fertilizer on both soil fertility parameters and finger millet yield. This research provides valuable insights for enhancing agricultural practices in regions characterized by sandy loam soils and low phosphorus availability, contributing to the sustainable productivity of finger millet crops in India.