Soil physico-chemical properties and nutrient balance as influenced by integrated weed and nutrient management in a transitional plain zone of Luni basin of Rajasthan

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during Kharif 2019 and 2020 at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Sumerpur (Rajasthan) to study the impact of integrated methods of weed management and organic nutrient sources on the nutrient balance sheet after harvest of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment comprised 6 weed management and 5 nutrient management practices in a split-plot design with three replications. The treatments stale seedbed + hoeing once at 20 DAS + application of 5 t/ha straw mulch at 30 DAS and weed-free check maintained up to 60 DAS of maize was found significantly effective in increasing the crop productivity but improved the above properties non significantly over rest of treatments. The soil chemical properties viz., pH, EC, and available nutrients viz., N, P2O5, K2O, Zn, and Fe in soil did not influence significantly by various weed management treatments after harvesting of maize except for organic carbon content. The nutrient balance was negative but the minimum was in weed-free check and stale seedbed + hoeing at 20 DAS + straw mulch at 30 DAS. Among the organic nutrient management treatments, 75% RDN through vermicompost in two splits + seed treatments with beejamurt + two sprays of jeevamurt did not affect the soil physio-chemical properties viz., pH & EC and available nutrients (Fe and Zn) in the soil after harvest of maize was remained unaffected while the available NPK and organic carbon of soil was influenced significantly during the study period. The treatment of 100% RDN through FYM gave the mean maximum values of these parameters while the lowest was recorded in the treatment of 75% RDN through vermicompost + seed treatment with beejamurt + two sprays of jeevamurt (at 500 l/ha at sowing and 30 DAS). The balance sheet indicated that the minimum net loss of nitrogen was in 100% RDN through vermicompost while minimum net loss of phosphorus and potassium gain were recorded at 100% RDN through FYM at the end of the experiment. The mean soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon were also significantly increased in this treatment.