Study on long term effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on crop productivity and soil fertility in Rice Oryza sativa L Wheat Triticumaestivum L cropping System

Abstract

Rice(Oryza sativa L.) wheat (Triticumaestivum L.) cropping system plays a significant role in food security, contributing 76% of total food grain production of India.About 33% of India s rice and 42% of wheat is grown in this rotation.This system is the principal cropping system occupying 24 m ha of cultivated land in the Asian subtropics. In south Asian countries, this system is prevalent in 13.5 m ha in the Indo-Gangetic plain of which 10 m ha lies in India. However, application of imbalanced chemical fertilizers has led to decline of nutrient use efficiency making fertilizer consumption uneconomical and producing adverse effects on environment. Prolonged use of chemical fertilizer hampers the sustainability of crop production and soil fertility. Imbalance use of chemical fertilizer alone tends to decline yield over a period of years with given input. All these factors led to search for alternative sources of plant nutrients.In this circumstances, nutrient recycling in the soil-plant ecosystem through judicious and efficient use of fertilizers and organic manures may play a vital role towards sustainable productive agricultural enterprise. newline