EVALUATION OF NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND FERTILITY STATUS IN GINGER GROWING SOILS OF BANAVASI AREA IN UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT
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Date
2021-02
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot. (College of Horticulture, Bagalkot).
Abstract
An experiment was carried out in Banavasi area of Uttara Kannada district to study
the nutrient management practices adopted by ginger farmers and its effect on soil properties
and ginger yield. Based on the nutrients application the farmers were classified into three
groups- G1: Local Farmers-1 (High OM and High Fertilizers), G2: Local Farmers-2 (Low
OM and Moderately High Fertilizers) and G3: Migrated Farmers (Very Low OM and Very
High Fertilizers).
The soil samples were collected after harvest of ginger crop at surface (0-15 cm) and
subsurface (15-30 cm) soil. The soil pH and EC did not show any significant difference
among different category of ginger farmers. The soil organic carbon and carbon stock varied
significantly in the order of G1 > G2 > G3 respectively and higher the soil organic carbon
(1.33 ± 0.08 %) and soil carbon stock (23.17 ± 1.60 t ha-1
) were observed in Local Farmers-1
group. The major and secondary nutrients status varied significantly among three groups.
However, higher available nitrogen (378.48 ± 13.40 kg ha-1
), phosphorous (32.34 ± 3.36 kg
ha-1
), potassium content (365.44 ± 30.55 kg ha-1
), calcium (5.72 ± 0.54 meq 100 g-1
),
magnesium (3.36 ± 0.23 meq 100 g-1
) and sulphur (26.47 ± 3.34 kg ha-1
) was noticed in
Migrated Farmers group. Similarly, micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) content was found
higher in fields of migrated farmers soils compared to other groups. Local farmers-1 who
had applied more organic manures recorded higher dehydrogenase (15.21 ± 2.92 µg TPF g-1
of soil day-1
) and acid phosphatase activity (22.38 ± 2.23 µg PNP g-1
of soil hr-1
). While,
urease activity (132.81 ± 8.59 µg NH4
+
released g-1
soil hr-1
) was significantly higher in
Migrated Farmers group.
The higher rhizome yield (31.00±2.94 t ha-1
) was observed in Migrated Farmers
group compared to Local Farmers-1 (22.35±1.50 t ha-1
) and Local Farmers-2 (17.91±1.72 t
ha-1
). In terms of nutrients expenditure, the local farmers-1 has spent highest money and
fallowed by Local Farmers-2 and migrated farmers. Injudicious nutrients application was
found in migrated farmers thus, there is need to educate them on balanced and optimization
of nutrients supplementation on soil sustainability.