Suitability of Lime, Green Leaf, and Farm Yard Manure and Inorganic Fertilizers for Sustaining Green Gram Yield and Rainwater Use Efficiency Under Moist Sub-Humid Alfisols in India

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were conducted to assess the effect of nutrients management practices on yield and rainwater use efficiency of green gram (Vigna radiata), and soil fertility under moist sub-humid Alfisols at Phulbani, India, during 2005–2008. Ten treatment combinations of lime @ 10% and 20% of lime requirement (LR) @ 8.3 t ha⁻¹, farmyard manure (FYM) @ 5 t ha⁻¹, green leaf manure @ 5 t ha⁻¹, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N–P–K) (20–40–20 kg ha⁻¹) were tested. The analysis of variance indicated that treatments differed significantly from each other in influencing yield and rainwater use efficiency. Application of lime @ 20% LR + FYM @ 5 t/ha + 40 kg P + 20 kg K ha⁻¹ was superior with maximum mean yield of 531 kg ha⁻¹, while lime @ 10% LR + FYM @ 5 t ha⁻¹ + 40 kg P + 20 kg K ha⁻¹ was the second best with 405 kg ha⁻¹ and maintained maximum soil fertility of nutrients. The superior treatment gave maximum sustainability yield index of 67.5%, rainwater use efficiency of 0.49 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹, improved soil pH, electrical conductivity, and soil nutrients over years.

KEYWORDS:

• Grain yield
• lime
• monetary returns
• organic and inorganic fertilizers
• rainwater use efficiency
• sustainability yield index

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, for providing all facilities for conducting the research study.