Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) Production in Western U.p.

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the 2nd most important food crop of the world and India next to rice account for 31.5 % of the food grain basket of the country. Wheat is the backbone of food security of India. It covers an area of 29.25 m ha with total production of 94.90 m t and average productivity of 29.89 q/ha.The total area of wheat in the world is around 222.60 m ha with production of 716.16 m t. The normal world productivity is 32.17 q ha-1.Wheat crop contributes substantially to the national food security by providing more than 50 % of the calories to the people who mainly depend on it. The common bread wheat occupies more than 90% of total wheat area and along with 10% area under Triticum durum. Non judicious use of chemical fertilizer over a long term in agriculture had shown the adverse effect of soil health and crop yield. Highly productive soils have started showing signs of declining productivity with increasing cropping intensities. Capacity of soil to replenish nutrient level in soil is declining and therefore use of chemical fertilizer increasing day by day. Indiscrimate uses of fertilizer adversely affecting the Physicochemical properties of the soil resulting in stagnation in productivity. Therefore we use integrated nutrient management system it is a combine application of organic and inorganic along with bio-fertilizer. The traces of micronutrients which are essential for plants are not supplied by chemical fertilizers but organic manures supply micronutrients by the application of organic manures increase the organic matter content in the soil which increase the water holding capacity in soil and improve the physico-chemical property of soil. The beneficial impact of organic manure on physical, biological and chemical property of soil. A field experiment was conducted in wheat during rabi season during 2011-12 and 2012-13 on sandy loam soil at crop research center of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut. Experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Studies were conducted with eleven treatments viz., 100% NPK, 75 % NPK + 3 ton ha-1 FYM + Azosprillium, 50% NPK + 6 ton ha-1 FYM + Azosprillium, 25% NPK + 9 ton ha-1 FYM + Azosprillium, 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 pressmud + Azosprillium, 50 % NPK + 2 ton ha-1 pressmud + Azosprillium, 25 % NPK + 3 ton ha-1 pressmud + Azosprillium,75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium, 50 % NPK + 2 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium, 25 % NPK + 3ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium, Control. The highest growth characters were recorded with 100 % RDF through inorganic source of nutrient which were statistically similar to the treatment of 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium and significantly higher than the rest of the treatments and control. Among the different combination of organic manures with inorganic source of nutrients, 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium recorded significantly higher yield attributes and yield along with higher gross return and net return. Higher nutrient content and nutrient uptake over control with inorganic fertilizer. On the basis present study, it may be concluded that integrated use of organic source of nutrient can enhance the productivity of wheat. At maturity 100% NPK and 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium attained the plant height 77.75 and 77.25 cm respectively. 100% NPK and 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium accumulated 243.3 and 236.85 g/m of dry matter at maturity. Yield attributes (spike length, grains per spike, spikelet’s spike-1, 1000-grain weight etc), grain, straw and biological yield, and harvest index (HI) markedly reduced in control plot. The mean grain yield obtained were 42.64q ha-1, and 41.72 q ha-1 in 100% NPK and 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium respectively. 100% NPK fetched highest gross return of Rs 73478 ha-1, net return of Rs 48211 ha-1 with B: C ratio of 1.90 while the lowest (Rs 43778 ha-1, Rs 23143 ha-1 and 1.12) with control plot. Although application of 100% NPK yielded more among all the nutrient management options but it was found at par with 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium in grain yield, gross return and net return. Therefore for the sustainability of soil health 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium proved better. Thus 75 % NPK + 1 ton ha-1 vermicompost + Azosprillium may be suggested for good performance of wheat crop and sustainability of soil health and crop yields in future.