RESUMEN
The dataset provided details on how tillage methods and nutrient management impacted the productivity of the four crops (mustard>mungbean>Transplanting (T.) aus >Transplanting (T.) aman) cropping system and the overall soil health. The specific tillage techniques examined were minimum tillage (MT), conventional tillage (CT), and deep tillage (DT). Regarding nutrient management, NM1 utilized 100 % soil test-based (STB) fertilization following fertilizer gradient generation (FRG); NM2 applied 125 % of STB after FRG-2018; NM3 consisted of 100 % STB (with 80 % from chemical fertilizers and 20 % from cow dung); and NM4 relied on native fertility without any fertilization. Over three consecutive seasonal years (2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21), twelve treatments were replicated three times following a factorial totally randomized design. The comparative analysis of crop yield, rice equivalent yield, system productivity and production efficiency indicated superior performance of MT over both CT and DT. Furthermore, in relation to agricultural productivity metrics, the application of the nutrition package NM3 demonstrated performance levels exceeding the average. The adoption of MT and the incorporation of the NM3 nutrition package led to notable advancements in organic matter, field capacity, microbial biomass nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon and soil nutrient levels (N, P, K, S, Zn, and B). Consequently, the synthesis of the NM3 with MT is posited as a strategic approach for soil enhancement and the augmentation of crop productivity.
RESUMEN
A cropping system that is based on three or four crops is currently a widely favored option for augmenting crop productivity to address the escalating global food demand. However, the improper fertilizer management and undue tillage adversely impacts both the productivity of crops and the fertility of the soil. A research investigation was conducted on tillage and nutrient management within the mustard-mungbean-Transplanting aus (T.aus)-Transplanting aman (T.aman) cropping system to examine the impact of fertilizer packages and tillage techniques on the overall productivity of cropping systems, as well as the condition of the soil in grey terrace soil. The research included tillage techniques viz; minimum tillage (MT), conventional tillage (CT) and deep tillage (DT); while nutrient management; NM1: 100 % STB (Soil test based) following FRG (Fertilizer Recommendation Guide-2018), all from chemical fertilizer, NM2: 125 % of STB following FRG- 2018, all from chemical fertilizer, NM3: 100 % STB (80 % from chemical fertilizers and 20 % from cowdung), and NM4: Native fertility (no fertilization). A total of twelve treatments replicated three times following the factorial completely randomized design for three consecutive seasonal years (2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21). MT outperformed DT and CT in terms of crop yield, rice equivalent yield (REY), system productivity (SP), and production efficiency (PE). Moreover, NM3 exhibited enhanced performance in terms of agricultural productivity measures. Field capacity (FC), soil organic matter (OM), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and soil nutrients (N, P, K, S, Zn and B) observed an enhancement as a result of the implementation of tillage MT and nutrition package NM3. The investigation indicates that implementing minimum tillage (MT) coupled with an integrated plant nutrition system package (NM3) can assist in the improvement of soil and the enhancement of crop productivity.
RESUMEN
Foliar fertilization is a reliable technique for correcting a nutrient deficiency in plants caused by inadequate nutrient supply to the roots in acid soil. Soluble nutrients in banana pseudostem sap might be effective to supplement chemical fertilizers. However, the limited nutrients in sole banana pseudostem sap as foliar fertilization may not meet-up the nutritional demand of the crop. Field trials were, therefore, conducted with the combination of soil-applied fertilizers with foliar spray of banana pseudostem sap to increase nutrient uptake, yield, and quality of sweet corn planted in acidic soil. Three treatments viz., 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RD) as control (T1), 75% of RD applied in soil with foliar application of non-enriched banana pseudostem sap (T2), and 50% RD applied in soil with foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap (T3) were replicated four times. The combination of soil-applied fertilizer with foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap (T3) showed a significant increase in leaf area index (11.3%), photosynthesis (12%), fresh cob yield (39%), and biomass of corn (29%) over control. Besides, the 50% RD of soil fertilization with foliar spray of enriched pseudostem sap increased nutrient uptake in addition to an increase in sugar content, phenolic content, soluble protein, and amino acids of corn. Considering the economic analysis, the highest net income, BCR (3.74) and MBCR (1.25) values confirmed the economic viability of T3 treatment over the T1. The results suggest that foliar spray of enriched banana pseudostem sap can be used as a supplementary source of nutrients to enhance nutrient uptake by corn while increasing yield and minimizing chemical fertilizer use in acid soil.
