Long term conjunctive use of inorganic fertilizers, FYM and gliricidia green leaves on available macro and micronutrients, nutrient balance and productivity of cotton + greengram intercropping system in Vertisols

Abstract

A field study was conducted during kharif season of 2023-24 on the long term experiment initiated during 1987-88 at research farm of AICRP for Dryland Agriculture. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (Maharashtra), to assess the long term conjunctive use of inorganic fertilizers, FYM and gliricidia green leaves on available macro and micronutrients, nutrient balance and productivity of cotton and greengram intercropping system in Vertisols. The results after 37th cycle revealed that there was significant improvement in available macro and micronutrients in soil, nutrient balance and cotton + greengram intercropping productivity with the gliricidia and FYM incorporated treatments as compared to control. The higher available of macro nutrients N (268.7 kg ha-1), P (19.20 kg ha-1) and K (399.4 kg ha-1) and available micro nutrients Fe (9.57 mg kg-1), Mn (11.88 mg kg-1) and Cu (3.43 mg kg-1), Zn (0.69 mg kg-1) with higher cotton and greengram productivity was observed with the application of 50% N through fertilizers + 50% N through gliricidia + 100% P2O5 + 100% K2O ha-1 through fertilizers. Similarly, the nutrient balance after thirty-seven years of experiment was also higher with the application of 50% N fertilizers + 50% N ha-1 gliricidia + 100% P2O5 + 100% K2O ha-1 fertilizers. Hence, it can be concluded that the integrated application of 50% N through gliricidia / FYM + 50% N + 100% P2O5 + 100% K2O ha-1 through fertilizers resulted in improvement in available macro and micronutrient in soil, higher crop productivity with higher nutrient balance in cotton + greengram (1:1) intercropping system in Vertisols under rainfed conditions.