Soil Test based Fertiliser Calibrations for Garlic-Maize Sequence in Alluvial Soils of Northwest India

摘要

Average productivity of garlic (Allium sativum L.) crop in India is abysmally lower than the world average owing perhaps to the lack of high yielding varieties and imbalanced fertilisation. The current and impending challenges of natural resource and water scarcity have made maize crop emerge as a potential alternative in crop diversification imperatives. Maize crop can be grown in sequence with garlic. This study was undertaken with the objective of developing soil test based fertiliser calibrations for garlic-maize cropping sequence. A field experiment involving three fertility gradient strips was conducted on garlic-maize cropping system at the Punjab Agricultural University Soil Science Research Farm, Ludhiana. Three rates of FYM (0,25 and 501 ha~(-1)), three nitrogen (N) rates (90,120, and 150 kg N ha~(-1) both for garlic and maize), three P rates (45, 60 and 75 kg P2O5 ha~(-1) for both the crops) and three K rates (20,30, and 40 kg K2O ha~(-1) both for garlic and maize) were randomized in a Latin Square design. After the imposition of FYM and other treatments, garlic (var. PG-17) was raised and thereafter the maize crop (PMH-1) was raised on residual FYM. Results indicated that garlic did not respond to FYM levels higher than 25t ha~(-1). The fertiliser N exerted favorable effect on garlic bulb yields up to 90 kg ha~(-1). In the absence of FYM garlic generally did not respond to fertiliser P beyond 45kg ha~(-1). It did not respond to fertiliser K more than 20kg ha~(-1). In the following maize crop, the residual effect of FYM was significant only at 0 and 90kg ha~(-1) levels of fertiliser N. The effect of fertiliser P was absent beyond 45 kg ha~(-1). Site-specific fertiliser adjustment equations for targeted yields of garlic and maize showed that for 125q ha~(-1) garlic yield goal, the fertiliser P was not required when soil test P exceeded 60 kg ha~(-1) level. Under integrated nutrient management (INM) environment with 50t ha~(-1) FYM use, fertiliser P was not required when soil test P exceeded 35 kg ha~(-1) level. For attaining a maize grain yield goal of 50q ha~(-1) the fertiliser P was not required when soil test P exceeded 60kg ha~(-1) level. Residual impact of FYM applied to the preceding garlic crop @ 50 t/ha completely obviated fertiliser K need. The study revealed the importance of soil test based fertiliser use especially under INM environment.