Improving productivity of maize-lentil rotation in alkaline Fluvisol following soil test crop response (STCR) - targeted yield approach of nutrient management

ABSTRACT

Soil-test crop response (STCR) approach is aiming to precise adjustment of fertilizers under varying soil-test values for targeted-yield, presently gaining recognitions for sustainable nutrient management. The study aimed to envisage the precision scale of STCR targeted-yield models in maize-lentil rotation in alkaline Fluvisol under sole-fertilizer and integrated nutrient management (with farmyard manure). Fertility-gradient, test-crop diagnostic, and validation trials were conducted following STCR technical program. Soil fertility gradient and variable fertilizer doses had caused a large variation in grain yield of maize (0.99–4.94 t ha⁻¹, CV = 30%) and lentil (1.11–2.02 t ha⁻¹, CV = 13%). Lentil had increased potential to utilize soil nutrient pools; in contrast, maize was highly responsive to fertlizer nutrients. Multivariate-regression analysis revealed that fertilizers N, P, and S had a strong and direct influence on maize yield; where fertilizer-P was the primary yield-determining variable for lentil. Both sole-fertilizer and integrated STCR-based treatments attained the targeted-yields in maize. However, STCR treatments could not attain the targeted-yields in lentil (17–29% deviation), but had yield advantage over the blanket recommended fertilizer dose. Hence, in tropical-alkaline soils, integrated STCR targeted-yield approach could be the sustainable nutrient management option(s) for improving the productivity of the maize-lentil system.

KEYWORDS:

• STCR targeted-yield approach
• multivariate regression analysis
• integrated plant nutrient supply (IPNS)
• nutrient uptake
• farmyard manure
• grain yield

Acknowledgements

The work was funded by the ICAR–Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, India (Institute Funded).