Productivity, profitability and quality of soybean (Glycine max) and residual soil fertility as influenced by integrated nutrient management

A field experiment was conducted at Pantnagar to assess the effect of various fertilizer and manurial treat- ments on soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill] productivity, quality and residual soil fertility during kharif seasons of 2003 and 2004. Fourteen treatments that include use of FYM, B and Fe over 50 and 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) viz., 20.0-26.4-33.3 kg N-P-K/ha. Integrated use of RDF with FYM or soil application of Fe/B being at par increased the seed yield of soybean significantly over RDF alone (3.13 tonne/ha). Highest net re- turns were recorded with the application of RDF + 10 tonne FYM/ha. Application of FYM/Fe/B with both 50% RDF and RDF markedly improved the unsaturated fatty acids content (linolenic, linoleic and oleic) and reduced satu- rated fatty acids (palmatic and stearic) content. Use of FYM and micronutrients helped in maintaining soil fertility and rhizospheric microbial population.