Effect of site specific nutrient management on yield of cotton, yield attributes and availability of nutrients in Vertisols

Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM) aims at balanced nutrient application to crops based on the nutrient requirement to produce a unit quantity of yield taking in to account the native nutrient supplying capacity of soil. The experiment was carried out at farmers’ fields in different village’s in Akola district during kharif seasons of 2014-15 and 2015-16 on Vertisols. The trial consists of four treatments of nutrient application viz. omission of nitrogen (-N), omission of phosphorus(-P), omission of potassium (-K) and Ample NPK. The treatment wise number of boll, boll weight and seed cotton yield was recorded during both the years. The data indicated that the magnitude of increase in seed cotton yield due to balanced application of NPK as per SSNM was recorded higher significantly. Omission of N, omission of P, and omission of K recorded 18.02%, 10.10% and 13.32% lower seed cotton yield as to compared to NPK treatment. The higher number of boll, boll weight registered similar trend. The available nitrogen phosphorus and potassium in soil after harvest of cotton were recorded significantly higher in balanced nutrient treatment as compared to omission of N, P and K treatments. Hence, it is concluded that balanced nutrient application through SSNM enhanced the cotton productivity and availability of nutrients over omission of nutrients.