![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
Abstract
Based on experiments conducted during 1988–2009 on rainfed pearl millet/sorghum with 9 treatments in Vertisols, an efficient treatment for sustainable productivity is identified. Twenty kg of nitrogen (N) from farmyard manure (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg phosphorus (P) ha−1 in pearl millet and 40 kg N (urea) + 20 kg P + 25 kg zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) ha−1 in sorghum gave maximum yield and rainwater-use efficiency, whereas 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg (urea) + 10 kg P ha−1 in pearl millet and 40 kg (urea) + 20 kg P ha−1 in sorghum and gave maximum soil N, P, and potassium (K) over years. The regression model of 20 kg N (crop residue) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha−1 gave maximum R2 for predicting sorghum equivalent yield separately through precipitation and soil variables, whereas 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha−1 gave maximum R2 under combined model of both variables. Treatment of 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha−1 was superior for attaining maximum sorghum equivalent yield of 1062 kg ha−1, net returns of Rs. 4805 ha−1, benefit/cost (BC) ratio of 1.50, and 127 kg ha−1 of soil N, 10.3 kg ha−1 of soil P, and 386 kg ha−1 of soil K over years.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of all the scientists who were associated with the long-term study in this project.
Funding
Seventy-five percent of the funding for this long-term research was provided by ICAR through the All-India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, and the remaining funding was provided by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
Notes
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/lcss