Integrated Nutrient Management Improves the Growth and Yield of Rice and Greengram in a Rice—Greengram Cropping System under the Coastal Plain Agro-Climatic Condition

Abstract

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance.

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“…The available nutrients might have helped in enhancing leaf area which increases the photosynthesis and more dry matter accumulation. The present results corroborate findings of Mangaraj et al (2022) [11] . Table 2 shows the combined impact of fertilizer management practices (F) and irrigation schedules (I) on grain and straw yields.…”

Optimising nitrogen use efficiency of prilled urea through integrated use of nano-ZnO and green manuring for better productivity, quality and nutritional status of Basmati rice crop

“…This elevation in growth is attributed to the enhanced solubility kinetics of NPs in aqueous mediums (Zhang et al, 2021;Prakash et al, 2022), resonating with the earlier Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 09 frontiersin.org insights by Shivay et al (2008). The integration of both organic and inorganic fertilization strategies, as underscored by Mangaraj et al (2022), has been manifested as a sustainable approach towards enhancing rice crop growth.…”

Impact of organic, inorganic, and integrated production systems on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L)

“…This observation aligns with the findings of Yadav et al (2019) [17] , Panwar et al (2022) [11] , and Sonamati et al (2022) [14] . Integrated nutrient management practices, as highlighted by Mangaraj et al (2022) [10] , play a pivotal role in enhancing nutrient availability, thereby contributing to increased plant height.…”