Nutrient Management in Rice-Wheat Sequence under Sodic Soil

Nutrient management is one of the major problems of the sodic soil due to low organic carbon status and toxicity of sodium, which reduced the availability of other nutrients and affects soil properties. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different nutrient management practices in sodic soil at research station Dalip Nagar, C.S.A. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur during 2005–06 and 2006–2007. Results indicated that grain and straw yield and harvest index significantly increased in rice by the application of fertilizer on the soil test basis (100% STR). All the parameters further increased when 5 t ha−1 organic manures (FYM, pressmud and NADEP compost) were added along with recommended doses of fertilizers which was at par with 125% STR. Application of organic manures integrated with recommended dose of fertilizers and biofertilizers (PSB + BGA/Azotobacter) produced grain yield of rice and wheat (5.36 and 3.35 t ha−1, respectively) which was at par in comparison to 125% recommended dose of fertilizers (5.32 and 3.35 t ha−1, respectively). Similar trend was also recorded in nutrient uptake and apparent nutrient recovery in rice and wheat.