Integrated Nutrient Management for Rice Yield, Soil Fertility, and Carbon Sequestration

Reliance on inorganic fertilizers with less or no use of organic fertilizers has impaired the productivity of soils worldwide. Therefore, the present study was conducted to quantify the effects of integrated nutrient management on rice yield, nutrient use efficiency, soil fertility, and carbon (C) sequestration in cultivated land. The experiment was designed with seven treatments comprising of a zero input control, recommended inorganic fertilizers (RD), poultry manure (PM) (5 t ha−1) + 50% RD, PM (2.5 t ha−1) + 75% RD, vermicompost (VC) (5 t ha−1) + 50% RD, VC (2.5 t ha−1) + 75% RD, and farmers’ practice (FP) with three replications that were laid out in a randomized complete block design. The highest grain yield (6.16–6.27 t ha−1) was attained when VC and PM were applied at the rate of 2.5 t ha−1 along with 75% RD. Uptake of nutrients and their subsequent use efficiencies appeared higher and satisfactory from the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers. The addition of organic fertilizer significantly influenced the organic carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, soil pH, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium contents in post-harvest soil, which indicated enhancement of soil fertility. The maximum value of the organic carbon stock (18.70 t ha−1), total carbon stock (20.81 t ha−1), and organic carbon sequestration (1.75 t ha−1) was observed in poultry manure at the rate of 5 t ha−1 with 50% RD. The soil bulk density decreased slightly more than that of the control, which indicated the improvement of the physical properties of soil using organic manures. Therefore, regular nourishment of soil with organic and inorganic fertilizers might help rejuvenate the soils and ensure agricultural sustainability.

Integrated Nutrient Management Improves the Growth and Yield of Rice and Greengram in a Rice—Greengram Cropping System under the Coastal Plain Agro-Climatic Condition

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) Modules on yield, yield attributes and profitability of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.)] in Western Uttar Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) modules on indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in Western U.P., variety Pusa Vijay at Crop Research Centre (CRC), Main Campus, Modipuram Meerut, during Rabi season, 2020-21. The soil of experimental field was sandy loam texture, alkaline in nature with pH, low in organic carbon (0.42%) and available nitrogen (181.60 kg/ha), available phosphors (16.50 kg/ha), available potassium (230.47 kg/ha) and available sulphur (7.38 kg/ha). Ten treatments of different nutrient management practices consisting T1 Control, T2 100% RDN (120 kg. N/ha), T3 75% RDN, T4 75% RDN + 25% through Vermicompost (VC), T5 75% RDN + 25% through Poultry Manure (PM), T6 75% RDN + 25% through Press Mud Compost (PMC), T7 75% RDN + 25% through [ VC , PM (1:1) ], T8 75% RDN + 25% through [VC, PMC (1:1) ], T9 75% RDN + 25% through [PM , PMC (1:1)], T10 75% RDN + 25% through [VC , PM, PMC (1:1:1)] were tested in randomized block design with three replications. The experimental results revealed that yield attributes (siliqua length, siliqua plant-1, seeds siliqua-1 and test weight), grain and stover yield (q ha-1). The increment in seed yield with application of 75% RDN + 25% through [VC, PM, PMC (1:1:1)] was 130.98 % over control. The maximum gross return and net return were recorded with the application of 75% RDN + 25% through [VC, PM, PMC (1:1:1)], however B:C ratio was lower than the use of RDF only but in application of vermicompost, press mud compost and poultry manure enhance soil fertility which improve the productivity and productivity of mustard.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Okra Production in Acid Soil

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is a novel strategy to achieve sustainable crop production in degraded soils through judicious and balanced plant nutrients utilization. Sole application of chemical fertilizers in crop production causes soil and environmental pollution. The present study was designed to assess the effects of application of organic manures conjointly with chemical fertilizers on growth and yield of okra in acid soil. The experiment was consisted of four treatments viz. T0 [Control], T1 [Recommended dose of chemical fertilizers (RDF)], T2 [Dolomite (D) @ 1t ha-1 + RDF], T3 [Poultry manure (PM) @ 3t ha-1 + RDF], T3 [Cow dung (CD) @ 5t ha-1 + RDF] with six replications in a randomized complete block design. The results indicated that the use of PM with RDF showed better performance in the growth and yield attributes of okra. Compared with others plots, the highest plant height (114.10 cm), fresh weight plant-1 (591.58 g) and dry weight plant-1 (86.73 g) were observed in the PM-treated plot. Similarly, the highest number of fruits plant-1 (20.33) and fruit yield (13.58 t ha-1) were also found in PM-treated plants. Therefore, under acidic soil conditions, organic and inorganic fertilization may have a significant positive impact on the growth and yield of Okra.

Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Plant Growth and Tuber Yield of Dahlia (Dahlia variabilis) cv. Kenya White

The experiment was carried out at Experimental field, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Sciences [formerly known as Allahabad Agriculture Institute Deemed University, AAI-DU] during the Spring season 2014-2015. The experiment consists of Thirteen treatments viz., (T0) Control-RDF (100:120:100 N P K kg ha-1,), (T1) 75% RDF + AZ@ 2.5 kg ha-1,, (T2) 75% RDF + FYM @ 10 ton ha-1, (T3) 75% RDF + VC@ 10 ton ha-1, (T4) 75% RDF + AZ @ 2.5 kg/ha +FYM @ 10 ton ha-1+VC @ 10 ton ha-1, (T5) 50% RDF +AZ@ 2.5 kg ha-1, (T6) 50% RDF + FYM@ 10 ton ha-1, (T7) 50% RDF + VC@ 10 ton ha-1, (T8) 50% RDF + AZ @ 2.5 kg ha-1+FYM @ 10 ton ha-1+VC @ 10 ton ha-1, (T9) 25% RDF + AZ@ 2.5 kg ha-1, (T10) 25% RDF + FYM@ 10 ton ha-1, (T11) 25% RDF + VC@ 10 ton ha-1+, (T12) 25% RDF + AZ @ 2.5 kg ha-1+FYM @ 10 ton ha-1+VC @ 10 ton ha-1. The treatments were replicated thrice in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The results revealed that Plants treated with 75% RDF + AZ @ 2.5 kg/ha +FYM @ 10 t/ha +VC @ 10 t/ha (T4) significantly recorded maximum vegetative and Tuber yield attributes like plant height (91.87 cm), plant spread (92.38 cm), Number of Branches per plant (7.27), number of leaves per plant (26.53), number of tubers per plant (4.80), maximum tuber weight (958.53) and Maximum tuber yield per plant was recorded in T4 (75% RDF + AZ @ 2.5 kg/ha +FYM @ 10 t/ha +VC @ 10 t/ha) (43.33g) followed by T3 (75% RDF + VC @ 10 t/ha) (40.95g).

Effect on Integrated Nutrient Management on Productivity, Quality and Nutrient Uptake on Summer Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on productivity, quality and nutrient uptake in summer groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) during summer 2018 at Dantiwada, Gujarat. The treatment consisted of ten different integrated nutrient management treatments practices. The integration of inorganic fertilizers along with seed inoculation of biofertilizers viz., Rhizobium and phosphates solubilising bacteria (PSB) recorded significantly higher pod and haulm yield of summer groundnut as compared to rest of the treatments. Combined application of 75 % recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) and 25 % RDN through vermicompost or farm yard manure (FYM) along with seed inoculation of Rhizobium and phosphates solubilising bacteria (PSB) recorded higher pod and haulm yield and also higher net returns and B- C ratio in summer groundnut.