Farmyard manure and inorganic fertilization effects on saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil and crop performance in rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and maize (Zea mays) systems.

摘要

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of FYM and inorganic fertilizers on saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil and crop yields in rice-wheat and maize-wheat cropping systems in a long-term experiment (32 years) conducted in Punjab, India. The treatments included (T1) farmyard manure (FYM) at 20 t/ha in both crops, (T2) N alone, (T3) N and P and (T4) N, P and K in addition to (T5) control (without any fertilizers or FYM). The N, P and K were applied at 120, 30 and 30 kg/ha in rice-wheat and 100, 50 and 50 kg/ha in maize-wheat. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was significantly higher in FYM plots (34%) and N< sub>120P< sub>30K< sub>30 plots (30%) than in the control plots (0.73 cm/h) in rice-wheat, whereas in maize-wheat, it was higher by 70 and 76%, respectively. The mean root radius of wheat was significantly higher in N< sub>120P< sub>30K< sub>30 than in FYM plots both in rice-wheat and maize-wheat systems. The application of balanced fertilizers improved the hydraulic conductivity compared to T2 application. The application of FYM or NPK increased the rice grain yield by 32-33% and maize grain yield by 59-60% compared to those of the control plots. Wheat grain yield increased by 52-57% by FYM/NPK application in rice-wheat and 53-56% in maize-wheat system.