Effect of chemical fertilizers, organics and lime on fractions of micronutrient cations under continuous maize-wheat cropping in an acid Alfisol
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Date
2023-02-10
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CSK HPKV, Palampur
Abstract
The present investigation was carried out in an on-going long-term fertilizer experiment,
initiated during 1972 at experimental farm of Department of Soil Science, CSK HPKV Palampur, to
study the effect of chemical fertilizers, organics and lime on fractions of micronutrient cations under
continuous maize-wheat cropping in an acid Alfisol. The experiment was laid out in a randomized
block design with twelve treatments. The soil of the experimental site was silty loam and classified
taxonomically as “Typic Hapludalf”. Soil samples were collected after wheat (rabi, 2019-20 and 2020-
21) harvest from the surface (0-0.15 m) and sub-surface (0.15-0.30 m) layer. Soil samples were
analyzed for various chemical, physical and microbiological properties using standard analytical
procedures. Different fractions of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe were determined in surface and sub-surface soil
samples collected after wheat harvest (rabi, 2019-20) and soil samples drawn from adjacent buffer
plots. The grain and stover/straw yield of maize and wheat was recorded. The nutrient concentration
was determined in grain and stover/straw samples of maize & wheat and uptake was calculated.
Continuous use of chemical fertilizers, organics and lime under maize-wheat system in an acid Alfisol
brought out marked depletion in the pools of all the micronutrient cations as compared to buffer plots.
The content of different fractions of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe in sub-surface layer was less than that in
surface layer. However, the treatment wise trend was almost similar to that under surface layer. Highest
grain yield of maize (54.77 and 44.91 q ha-1
during 2019 and 2020, resectively) and wheat (28.11 and
24.67 q ha-1
during 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively) was recorded under 100% NPK + FYM
treatment which was at par with 100 % NPK + lime. FYM and lime treatments resulted in significantly
higher uptake of all the nutrients by both the crops compared to other treatments. Most of the fractions
of Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe correlated negatively and significantly with pH and positively and significantly
with OC and CEC. Simple correlation and regression studies revealed that organically bound and
exchangeable fractions were found to play major role in the nutrient supply, crop productivity and
nutrients’ uptake.