Green manuring, mustard residue recycling and fertilizer application affects productivity and sustainability of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in Indian semi-arid tropics.

摘要

An experiment was conducted for five-years (2005-06 to 2009-10) to evaluate the impact of Sesbania green-manuring (GM), mustard-residue recycling and fertilizers on soil health and productivity of Indian mustard under fallow-mustard sequence. Sesbania (GM) significantly increased SOC, carbon-sequestration-potential rate, infiltration rate, available NPK status but decreased bulk density. Supplementing mustard-residue recycling 2.5 t ha-1 further improved the soil quality attributes significantly. The increase in fertilizer from N₄₀P_8.7K₀ to N₈₀P_17.4K_33.3 also improved the soil attributes gradually. This improvement in soil properties due to Sesbania (GM) and mustard-residue recycling significantly influenced plant height, branches/plant, siliquae/plant, seeds/siliqua and ultimately seed and oil yield compared to existing fallow-mustard practice. The mustard seed yield was increased by 42.3% due to Sesbania (GM) and by 63.9% due to supplementary mustard residue recycling in five years. Increase in fertilizers levels from N₄₀ to N₈₀ and P_8.7 to P_17.4 significantly improved mustard yield attributes, seed and oil yield while results of K application was inconsistent. The combined application of N₈₀P_17.4K_33.3 synergistically increased the seed yield by 82.1% over N₄₀P_8.7K₀. Sustainability yield index, partial factor productivity, production efficiency and incremental benefit cost ratio also showed significant improvement due to Sesbania (GM), mustard-residue recycling and judicious fertilizer use.