Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluated the impacts of inorganic fertilizers applied either alone or conjointly with farmyard manure (FYM) on yield, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)-use efficiency and economics of maize (Zea mays L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping in floodplain soils. Farmers' field experiments were conducted at three locations with five treatments: absolute control (CK), farmers' practice (FP), recommended NPK (NPK), NPK+FYM and FP+FYM in maize and the same treatments were applied without FYM in wheat. Grain yield and nutrient (N, P and K) uptake increased significantly (P<0.05) with fertilizer application; the highest uptake being in NPK+FYM and the lowest in the CK. Application of NPK+FYM significantly improved agronomic efficiency (AE), physiological efficiency (PE) and recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P and K, over NPK alone. Gross returns above fertilizer cost (GRAFC) increased with NPK+FYM applications, relative to NPK alone. Therefore, NPK+FYM applications could be used to enhance crop productivity and nutrient-use efficiency in these soils.

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