Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus application on growth, yield, and economics of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in the Chitrakoot region

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2024 at the Nanaji Deshmukh Parisar Agriculture Farm, Chitrakoot, Satna (M.P.), to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth, yield, and economics of sorghum. The soil was sandy loam, neutral (pH 7.3), low in organic carbon (0.28%) and available nitrogen (98.68 kg ha⁻¹), and medium in available phosphorus (17.52 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with nine treatment combinations (three levels each of N: 75, 100, 125 kg ha⁻¹ and P₂O₅: 30, 50, 70 kg ha⁻¹) replicated thrice, using variety 'JKSH-22'. The results showed that growth parameters, including plant height and number of leaves and yield attributes (ear head length, girth, grains per ear head, grain weight) increased significantly with increasing levels of N and P. The highest grain yield (2899.75 kg ha⁻¹) and stover yield (7194.76 kg ha⁻¹) were recorded with the application of 125 kg N ha⁻¹ + 70 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹ (T₁). However, economic analysis revealed that the treatment T₉ (75 kg N ha⁻¹ + 30 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹) resulted in the highest net return (₹70,066 ha⁻¹) and benefit-cost ratio (2.51), owing to lower input costs. While the highest dose of N and P maximized physiological performance, the most economically efficient recommendation for sorghum cultivation in the Chitrakoot region under the given conditions is the application of 75 kg N ha⁻¹ and 30 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹.