Modeling Effects of Soil Fertility of Nutrients and Precipitation of 22 Years on Sustainable Productivity and Profitability of Pearlmillet and Sorghum Rotation in Semi-arid Vertisols

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2014-02, Vol.45 (3), p.251-270
• Main Authors: Jawahar, D, Maruthi Sankar, G. R, Renuka Devi, A, Rajeswari, M, Subramanian, V, Sharma, K. L, Mishra, P. K, Ravindra Chary, G, Bhaskar, K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; animal manures; Biological and medical sciences; Cenchrus americanus; crop residues; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Herbivores; Monthly precipitation; nitrogen; nutrients; pearl millet-sorghum rotation; Pennisetum glaucum; phosphorus; potassium; prediction; profitability; regression analysis; regression model; Soil fertility; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Sorghum (Poaceae); sustainability yield index; Tillage; urea; Vertisols; Water pollution; zinc sulfate
• ISSN: 1532-2416; 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2013.861905

Based on experiments conducted during 1988–2009 on rainfed pearl millet/sorghum with 9 treatments in Vertisols, an efficient treatment for sustainable productivity is identified. Twenty kg of nitrogen (N) from farmyard manure (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg phosphorus (P) ha ⁻¹ in pearl millet and 40 kg N (urea) + 20 kg P + 25 kg zinc sulfate (ZnSO ₄) ha ⁻¹ in sorghum gave maximum yield and rainwater-use efficiency, whereas 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg (urea) + 10 kg P ha ⁻¹ in pearl millet and 40 kg (urea) + 20 kg P ha ⁻¹ in sorghum and gave maximum soil N, P, and potassium (K) over years. The regression model of 20 kg N (crop residue) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha ⁻¹ gave maximum R ² for predicting sorghum equivalent yield separately through precipitation and soil variables, whereas 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha ⁻¹ gave maximum R ² under combined model of both variables. Treatment of 20 kg N (FYM) + 20 kg N (urea) + 10 kg P ha ⁻¹ was superior for attaining maximum sorghum equivalent yield of 1062 kg ha ⁻¹, net returns of Rs. 4805 ha ⁻¹, benefit/cost (BC) ratio of 1.50, and 127 kg ha ⁻¹ of soil N, 10.3 kg ha ⁻¹ of soil P, and 386 kg ha ⁻¹ of soil K over years.