EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED USE OF INORGANIC FERTILIZER, FARMYARD MANURE AND CROP RESIDUE ON CROP PRODUCTION, NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND PROTEIN IN SOYBEAN-RAPESEED CROPPING SYSTEM UNDER CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE AND CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN SUBTROPICS

A.K. GARG¹*, M.S. AULAKH², J.S. MANCHANDA^3
1Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
²Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
³Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
* Corresponding Author : ashoksangrur@gmail.com

Received : 29-11-2018     Accepted : 12-12-2018     Published : 15-12-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 23       Pages : 7559 - 7565
Int J Agr Sci 10.23 (2018):7559-7565

Keywords : Conservation agriculture, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Rapeseed, Reduced tillage, Integrated nutrient management
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Project D15009 on “Integrated soil, water and nutrient management for conservation agriculture”, through Research Contract No. IND/12980 (http://www-naweb.iaea.org/nafa/swmn/applied-research.html) for financial support. Authors are also thankful to Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India for providing the field and laboratory facilities
Author Contribution : First author (corresponding author) has collected the soil and plant samples from the experimental plots and performed their laboratory analyses. First and third author compiled the results of laboratory analyses and prepared the manuscript after doing al

Soybean (Glycine max L.) and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) are important crops grown for protein and edible oil in semiarid subtropical soils. Information on integrated use of inorganic N and P fertilizer, farmyard manure (FYM) and crop residue (CR), and their complimentary effects is needed under Conventional Tillage (CT) as well as fast-expanding Conservation Agriculture (CA) for the development of a sustainable annual soybean (summer-grown) – rapeseed (winter-grown) system. A field experiment was conducted for 4 years to evaluate the effects of 16 treatment combinations consisting of different rates of fertilizer N and P with or without FYM, and CR under CT and CA system on yield, nutrient uptake and protein content. While 10 t FYM ha-1 was applied to soybean each year, its residual effect was studied in rapeseed. Crop residues of soybean (3 t ha-1) and rapeseed (4 t ha-1) were incorporated in CT and retained on the soil surface in CA system. All through the 4 years, the grain yield of soybean increased significantly over control with the applications of fertilizer N and P. The combined applications of FYM and CR in conjunction with 20 kg N and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 (otherwise recommended rates) produced soybean grain yield under CT (2567 kg ha-1 averaged over 4 years) and CA (2440 kg ha-1) that were statistically at par with 25% higher application of inorganic N and P (25 kg N and 75 kg P2O5 ha-1). The results clearly revealed that soybean yield was comparable in CT and CA in different treatments with and without CR. Similar to grain yield, significantly higher uptake of N by soybean with the combined applications of FYM and CR with 20 kg N and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 in CT (166 kg ha-1 averaged over 4 years) and CA (159 kg ha-1) that were statistically at par with 25% higher applications of inorganic N and P. In succeeding rapeseed, the effects of fertilizer N and P on seed yield, N and P uptake, and protein were similar to those in soybean, however, the complimentary effects of CR and residual FYM were not consistent. Further, the rapeseed seed yield in all the 4 years was significantly lower (9-30%) under CA system than CT, both with and without CR. Total N and P uptake followed the patterns of seed yield in various treatment combinations. The reduced yield and uptake of N and P by winter-grown rapeseed in no-till CA was presumably due to poor and delayed germination of its small-sized seed, root proliferation and plant growth because of its shallow-seeding, hard soil surface layer, and cooler environment in surface soil layer during initial period after seeding created by the retention of CR on soil surface. Our study demonstrated that soybean could be grown in CT and CA with either 20 kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 10 t FYM ha-1 + CR or 25 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 ha-1 + CR for its highest yield, nutrient uptake and protein. However, the cultivation of rapeseed and similar small-seeded crops may not perform well under no-till, soil-surface retained crop residue CA system.

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