Improving wheat and soil productivity through integrated nutrient management and efficient planting system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to developed improved wheat and soil production system through integrated nutrient management (INM) and efficient planting system (EPS) in split plot design (SPD) with 20 treatment combinations. Treatments were consist of two planting systems (conventional and FIRB) and 10 fertility treatments viz., control, RDF, 75% RDF + FYM, 75% RDF + FYM + Zn, 75% RDF + FYM + Biofertilizer (BF) , 75% RDF + FYM + BF + Zn, RDF + FYM, RDF + FYM + Zn, RDF + FYM + BF and RDF + FYM + BF + Zn. The yield contributing characters of wheat viz., number of spikes / plant and number of grains/ spike were recorded significantly higher when the crop was supplied with combined application of RDF or 75% RDF along with FYM, biofertilizer and zinc over control and treatment receiving RDF only. In case of wheat yield, 10.8 and 11.3 per cent higher yield were registered with FIRB planting system over conventional system during 2007-08 and 2008-09. However in case of integrated nutrient management, RDF + FYM + BF + Zn treatment produced 50.39 and 52.73 q/ha wheat yield respectively. The grain and straw yields increased significantly with treatment RDF + FYM + Zn over control and RDF alone. The increase in grain yield with application of RDF + FYM + BF + Zn over RDF alone was 16.8 and 14.1 per cent during 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively. The treatment receiving fertilizer showed a higher harvest index over unfertilized control. No significant difference between planting systems was recorded in respect of available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon status of soil after harvest of crop during both the years of investigation. However, a higher net positive NPK balance under FIRB planting was observed over conventional planting system. A lower bulk density in the surface soil was observed under FIRB planting system as compared to conventional planting system during both years of field study. The FIRB system of planting and combined application of RDF or 75% RDF along with FYM, biofertilizers and zinc not only gave higher productivity and profitability of wheat but also have positive effect on soil physico-chemical properties which resulted into better rhizospheroc environment.