Study on Tillage, Organic and Inorganic Nutrient Sources: A Short-term Agronomic and Economic Analysis of Soybean (Glycine max L.) under Sub Humid Agro-climatic Conditions

Abstract

Background: Tillage systems such as zero tillage and minimum or reduced tillage leave more crop residues and offer greater protection to soil erosion. Besides appropriate selection of tillage practices, the improvement in average yield per hectare can be achieved by maintaining the soil fertility through proper rate and mode of application of fertilizers. Inorganic and organic sources of nutrients have potential in reversing the declining soil-health and crop productivity by correcting the marginal deficiencies of secondary and micro-nutrients, micro-flora and fauna and their beneficial influence on physical and biological properties of soil. Methods: Experiment was laid out for two years (2020 and 2021) at the Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur. There were twelve treatment combinations comprising three tillage practices (zero tillage, reduced tillage and conventional tillage) and four organic and inorganic nutrient sources (75 and 100% recommended dose of nitrogen through FYM and 75 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizer through urea, single super phosphate and muriate of potash) which were tested in split plot design with tillage practices in main plots and different nutrient sources in sub plots. Result: Among different tillage practices adapted, reduced tillage recorded higher yield, nutrient uptake, protein content, oil content and economics of soybean, whereas among different nutrient sources tested, use of 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers provided highest profitability and productivity of soybean under mustard-soybean cropping system.