Impact of Thirty-Four Years of Fertilization and Manuring on Soil Nutrients Availability, Yield and Quality of Crops in Indo-Gangetic Plains
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Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Abstract
Dryland rainfed agriculture needs an appropriate fertilization strategy to achieve sustainable yield with good soil health. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of long-term fertilization on soil available nutrients, its enzymatic activities, and yield and quality of crops. Depth-wise soil samples were collected from a 34-year-old long-term fertilizer experiment (LTFE) with a rainfed rice-lentil cropping system. Treatments used for comparison were: control, 100% NPK (recommended NPK), 50% NPK, 50% FYM (50% of recommended nitrogen from farmyard manure), 100% FYM, and 50% NPK + FYM. Collected samples were analyzed for the physico-chemical and biological properties of soils along with the quality and yield of crops harvested. Among the treatments, 50%NPK + FYM showed the highest activities of dehydrogenase (DHA) (72.7%), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) (48%), arylsulphatase (ASP) (92.8%) and urease (URE) (112%) compared with the control at the surface layer. It (NPK + FYM) also enhanced soil macro- (available N, P, K and S) and micro-nutrients (available Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and B). The use of FYM either alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizer, had significant impacts on uptake of macro- and micro-nutrients by grains and straw of rice. Conjoint use of FYM and inorganic fertilizer also improved grain yield of rice (2038�kg ha-1) and lentil (965�kg ha-1), values of sustainable yield index (SYI), and quality of rice in terms of enrichment of N, P and K (1.34%, 0.37% and 0.24%) in grains. Results also revealed an improved agronomic efficiency (AE) and apparent recovery efficiency (ARE) of N (38.8%), P (33.7%) and K (91.4%) with FYM. With the exception of control, there was a positive apparent N and P balance shown in all the treatments, whereas negative apparent K balance in all except the FYM-treated plots. Application of NPK with FYM improves soil physico-chemical and biological properties, crop productivity and also its quality. It also ensures a steady supply of N, P and K to crops enhancing their use efficiencies. A balanced and conjoint application of inorganic fertilizer and FYM to rainfed rice-lentil cropping system is recommended for upkeeping soil health, improving crop productivity and its quality under Indo-Gangetic Plains. � The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedad Chilena de la Ciencia del Suelo 2024.
Description
Keywords
Crop nutrition, Enzyme activity, Long-term fertilizer experiment, Yield