Soybean response to contrasting tillage and nutrient management under vertisolic soil

Abstract

A field investigation on “Soybean response to contrasting tillage and nutrient management under vertisolic soil” to study the impact of tillage and nutrient management on soybean and to assess the physicochemical properties of soil under vertisolic soil. The trial was conducted at the Department of Agronomy, Dr. PDKV, Akola during 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with five main plot and three sub plot treatments replicated for three times. The main plot treatments were constituted of five tillage practices viz. (1) Conservation tillage (CnT), Minimum tillage (MT), Subsoil tillage (ST), Roto Tillage (RT) and Conventional Tillage (CvT). Sub plot treatments were comprised of three nutrient management i.e.100% RDF (100 RDF), 75% RDF + 2 t ha-1 FYM (75RDF) and 50% RDF + 4 t ha-1 FYM (50RDF). The other cultural practices were kept common, as recommended. Results shows that, on a clayey soil with subsoil tillage exhibited better growth and yield attributes and recorded significantly higher seed yield. Nutrient management with 100% RDF (30:75:30 NPK kg/ha), being comparable to 75RDF, resulted in higher growth and yield attributes and seed yield of soybean whereas 50%RDF + 4 t ha-1 FYM. Improvement in soil physical properties viz., soil moisture content, porosity, mean weight diameter, rate of infiltration, Hydraulic conductivity was observed with subsoil tillage practice and 50RDF integrated nutrient management practices. Significantly higher gross monetary returns and net monetary returns along with maximum benefit: cost ratio were obtained with subsoil tillage. Application of 100% RDF recorded significantly higher gross monetary returns and net monetary returns along with maximum benefit: cost ratio. In terms of energetic values, subsoil tillage practice and nutrient management with 100% RDF recorded higher energy output and energy balance, however conservation tillage practice recorded maximum energy balance per unit input and higher energy output: input ratio.