SUSTAINING QUALITY, NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND SOIL FERTILITY THROUGH INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN FOOD – FORAGE CROPPING SYSTEM
U. S. TIWANA, D. P. CHAUDHARY AND PRITPAL SINGH
Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004 (Punjab), India
*(e-mail : ustiwana@pau.edu, utiwana@yahoo.co.in)
(Received : 10 November 2017; Accepted : 14 December 2017)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was carried out at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana for five consecutive years (2005-06 to 2009-10) to find out the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on quality, nutrient uptake and soil fertility in mung (Phaseolus aureus)-oats (Avena sativa) fodder- bajra (Pennisetum glaucum)+cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) fodder cropping system. The highest crude protein (28.3 q/ha) and lowest crude fiber (78.4 q/ha) were observed with 100 per cent RDF in all the crops. The highest total N uptake (466.4 kg/ha) of the cropping system was also recorded with 75 per cent RDF+25 per cent N through FYM as compared to 453.4 kg/ha with 50 per cent RDF+50 per cent N through FYM and 438.5 kg/ha with 100 per cent RDF. At the end of two years’ cropping system, the soil organic carbon, available N, P and K decreased in control, maintained in inorganic fertilizer treatments and improved in INM treatments. The highest values were observed with 50 per cent RDF+50 per cent FYM closely followed by 75 per cent RDF+25 per cent FYM.
Key words: Integrated, green fodder, dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, nitrogen uptake