Studies on integrated nutrient management and conservation tillage in soybean wheat cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of tillage practices, organic manures and inorganic fertilizer doses on growth, development, yield, quality, soil parameters and economics of soybean and wheat crops in a system approach at Research Farm of CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur from Kharif 2015 to Rabi 2016-17. The experiment was laid out in split plot design consisting of 3 tillage practices (zero tillage, minimum tillage and conventional tillage) and 2 organic manures (vermi-compost at 5 t/ha and FYM at 10 t/ha) in main-plots and 3 inorganic fertilizer doses (50% RDF, 75% RDF and 100% RDF) in sub-plots. The treatments were allocated randomly and replicated thrice. Significantly/numerically higher values of growth, development, yield attributes, yield, nutrient content and uptake and economics of soybean-wheat cropping system were recorded under conventional tillage, application of vermi-compost at 5 t/ha and 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers, respectively. Weed count was significantly higher under zero tillage and 100 per cent recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers in soybean and wheat crops. NPK status in soil was improved under zero tillage, vermi-compost at 5 t/ha and 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers, respectively. Significantly higher soil organic carbon content was also recorded under zero tillage. Conventional tillage, vermi-compost at 5 t/ha and 100 per cent recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers proved to be the best treatments for higher productivity and profitability of soybean-wheat cropping system under mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh. newline