Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Effect of integrated nutrient management on saffron yield and soil fertility.

2008; Volume: 3; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

0976-7231

J. A. Sofi, Nayar Afaq Kirmani, S. Ansar-ul-Haq,

Agricultural Science and Fertilization

The crop is grown from times immemorial in Pampore belt with blanket fertilizer application not taking into account integrated nutrient management and balanced supply of nutrient. Balanced nutrition involves systematic exploitation of potential of soil source, chemical fertilizers, bio fertilizers and organic manures. Injudicious use of high analysis chemical fertilizer results in deficiency of nutrients and decline in organic carbon. However, when manures and bio fertilizers were applied in conjunction with chemical fertilisers for efficient growth of crop, decline of crop yield was arrested and gap between actual and potential yield was bridged to a large extent (Singh et al., 2001). Use of chemical fertilizers may not keep pace with time in maintenance of soil health for sustaining productivity. Growing concern about the sustainability of saffron coupled with increasing price of chemical fertilizers had led to renewed interest in organic manuring. Incorporation of organic manure along with fertilizer affects the amount and distribution of organic N fraction considerably in soil (Santhy et al., 1998). As saffron is usually grown under rainfed conditions maximum loss of N through volatilization occurs and nitrogen use efficiency along with its recovery is very meagre. Sustainable productions at higher levels become possible only when factors’ leading to continued maintenance of soil health was adequately taken care of. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to study the yield of Saffron and uptake of nutrients as well as soil chemical properties. ABSTRACT The results of a field experiment conducted on upland soils to study the effect of different fertility management practices on saffron yield, nutrient content and soil fertility in a rainfed soil for two years (2006-2007) at K.D. Research Station, Old Airport Srinagar revealed that saffron responded to organic manures when used in integration with inorganic fertilizers. An additional saffron yield was realized with different organic manures plus inorganic fertilizers over control. The highest saffron yield was recorded with the application of 90 kg N ha in conjunction with 60t FYM ha plus Azotobacter inoculation; the increase was 57% over control. The combined application of fertilizer N, FYM and Azotobacter sustained the productivity even at lower rate of fertilizer N application. The highest N, P and K content was also recorded with the application of N 90 F 60 A l , P 100 F 60 PSB, and K 120 F 60 V 8 treatment, respectively. Moreover, the soil organic carbon, available N, P and K content increased with the application of fertilizer N, P and K alone and in conjunction with organics (FYM, Vermicompost or PSB) compared with control. See end of the article for authors’ affiliations