Long Term Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Soil Organic Carbon Status and Yield of Sunflower in Alfisols

Abstract

Permanent manurial experiment was started from the year 1909 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, in order to assess the impact of continuous addition of organic and mineral fertilizers on crop yield and soil quality. Conducting a long-term experiment at fixed site with continuous cropping will help to monitor the changes in soil quality and crop yields sustainability and also guide in developing strategies for fertilizer management while minimizing the environmental degradation. From the results revealed that the application of 100% NPK + Farmyard manure (FYM) @ 12.5 t ha-1 (INM) increased the seed yield (1879 kg ha-1) and straw yield of sunflower crop (3916 kg ha-1) when compared to control. Highest carbon build up was observed in the application of 100% NPK + Farmyard manure (FYM) @ 12.5 t ha-1 (INM) 9.8 g kg-1when compared to control (5.4 g kg-1).The present hypothesis showed that, the application of chemical fertilizer along with FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1 had positively impact on yield sustainability and soil health.