Potassium release characteristics, potassium balance, and fingermillet (Eleusine coracana G.) yield sustainability in a 27- year long experiment on an Alfisol in the semi-arid tropical India

Srinivasa Rao, Ch and Kundu, S and Ramachandrappa, B K and Reddy, S and Lal, R and Venkateswarlu, B and Sahrawat, K L and Naik, R (2014) Potassium release characteristics, potassium balance, and fingermillet (Eleusine coracana G.) yield sustainability in a 27- year long experiment on an Alfisol in the semi-arid tropical India. Plant and Soil, 374 (1-2). pp. 315-330. ISSN 1573-5036

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Abstract

Aim In Alfisols, potassium (K) deficiency limits productivity, as these soils are poor in K-bearing minerals such as mica. As nutrient management practices greatly influence K nutrition of crops especially in the longer term, we evaluated the effects of 27 (1978–2004) years of cropping fingermillet (Eleusine coracana G.) under different manure and mineral fertilizer treatments on K release, balance and yield sustainability on K deficient Alfisols in the semi-arid tropical region of southern India. Methods Fingermillet (variety: PR-202) was grown each year under rainfed conditions with 5 different nutrient management treatments: control (no amendment), 10 Mg ha−1 farm yard manure (FYM), 10 Mg ha−1 FYM +50 % NPK, 10 Mg ha−1 FYM +100 % NPK and 100 % NPK. Potassium release characteristics in the soil profile were determined using 1 N boiling HNO3 (strong extracting solution), 0.01 M HCl (medium extracting solution) and 0.01 M CaCl2 (mild extracting solution). Results Continuous cropping of Alfisols for 27 years resulted in a decrease in K supplying capacity due to soil K depletion through crop K uptake. In soils without K addition, inherent soil supply could not meet the K requirement of fingermillet; thus, a negative K balance following 27 years of cropping affected K nutrition of the crop in all the treatments. As a result, the highest sustainable yield index (SYI) was observed using an integrated nutrient supply (combined application of nutrients from organic and inorganic sources), and the lowest index was obtained without K additions. Conclusion For balanced nutrient management in cereal production systems, K nutrition needs urgent attention in the K deficient Alfisol region of southern India. Addition of any amount of organic manures available at field level offers an alternative strategy for maintaining soil K fertility to improve and sustain crop productivity.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	K release; K balance; Soil reserve K; Yield sustainability; Rainfed fingermillet; Semi-arid tropics
Subjects:	Mandate crops > Millets Others > Fertilizer Applications
Depositing User:	Mr Sanat Kumar Behera
Date Deposited:	02 Sep 2013 12:27
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2017 05:21
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/7083
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1877-8
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Acknowledgement:	We are thankful to Agricultural Production Cess Fund of ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) for their financial support and scientific staff of AICRPDA (All India Coordinated Research Project on Dryland Agriculture), Bengaluru centre for technical assistance.
Links:	Google Scholar

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