An Asian Journal of Soil Science

Priyanka Bairagi ¹, S. R. Yadav ¹, Dinesh Kumar ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, BIKANER (Rajasthan), IN
2 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, BIKANER (RAJASTHAN), IN
3 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, BIKANER (RAJASTHAN), IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Niche area of Excellence Farm, Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner during Rabi season, 2012-13. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications consisted of four levels NPK fertilizers through drip irrigation (control, 75, 100 and 125% recommended dose of NPK fertilizer) in main plots and four levels of FYM (control, 10, 20 and 30 t ha^-1) in sub plots. The soil of experimental site was loamy sand in texture containing 78.85, 18.80 and 180.00 kg ha^-1 available N, P and K, respectively in 0-15 cm soil depth with pH 8.68, EC 0.28 dS m^-1 and OC 0.15 per cent. A significant increase of diameter of bulb at equatorial and polar was recorded with application of 100per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer over control and 75per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer through drip irrigation. Maximum diameter of bulb of onion at equatorial and polar was recorded with addition of 30 t FYM ha^-1 as compared to control, 10 and 20 t FYM ha^-1. Significant increase of 18.33 and 7.51 per cent in fruit weight of onion was recorded with the application of 100 per cent recommended dose as compared to control and 75 per cent recommended dose through drip irrigation, respectively. Incorporation of FYM 10, 20 and 30 t ha^-1 registered an increase in bulb weight of onion in order of 10.55, 18.73 and 26.06 per cent, respectively over no incorporation of FYM. A significant increase in the bulb and stover yield of onion with application of 100 per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer over control and 75 per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer through drip irrigation. Significant increase of 55.35 and 13.56 per cent inbulb yield of onion was recorded with the application of 100 per cent recommended dose as compared to control and 75 per cent recommended dose through drip irrigation. Bulb yield of onion increased significantly with addition of FYM 30 t ha^-1. Incorporation of FYM 10, 20 and 30 t ha^-1 registered an increase in bulb yield of onion in order of 26.71, 47.33 and 63.74 per cent, respectively over no incorporation of FYM. Combination of 100 per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer along with 30 t FYM ha^-1 also resulted in significantly increased bulb yield of onion over other combinations of fertilizer levels and FYM levels except 125per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizer along with 30 t FYM ha^-1.

Keywords

Onion, FYM, NPK, Fertigation, Growth, Yield.

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Dinesh Kumar ¹, S. R. Yadav ¹, Ramandeep Kaur ¹, Anirudh Choudhary ¹, Brij Singh Meena ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out for assessment of soil fertility status of Jaisalmer district of western Rajasthan. For this purpose 125 representative soil samples were collected from two Panchayat Samiti i.e. Sankda village Ujala and Jaisalmer village Basanpeer and Amersagar of Jaisalmer district. These soil samples were analyzed for soil properties, macro and micronutrient fertility status. The soils were moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline in reaction with an average pH of 9.75. The EC value varied from 0.05 to 0.71 dS/m with average value of EC is 0.25 dS/m. The organic carbon content ranged from 0.01 to 0.70 per cent with an average value of 0.09 per cent. Available nitrogen, phosphorus (P₂O₅), potassium (K₂O) and sulphur (ppm) content of the soils ranged from 13.53 to 230.07, 5.43 to 56.72, 170.13 to 379.95 kg ha^-1 and 0.88 to 21.76 ppm with an average value of 131.95, 25.96, 258.13 kg ha^-1 and 11.34 ppm, respectively. However, available micronutrient DTPA Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn ranges varied from 0.04-1.63, 1.05-3.94, 0.01-0.21 and 0.14-2.88 ppm with an average value of 0.51, 0.21, 0.09 and 1.55 ppm per hectare, respectively. Among major nutrients, about 100 per cent of the soil samples were low in available nitrogen, 57.60, 36.00 and 6.40 per cent soil samples were observed to be low, medium and high in available P₂O₅, 87.20 and 12.80 per cent samples were in medium and high in available K. whereas, 44.80, 54.40 and 0.80 per cent soil samples were observed to be low, medium and high in available sulphur. Nutrient indexing of the areas was low for N (1.00), Cu (1.016) and Mn (1.112), whereas, it was medium in case of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, DTPA-Zn and Fe. With respect to micro-nutrients 66.40, 46.40, 99.2, 94.40 per cent samples were found to be deficient in DTPA-Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn, respectively. The correlation studies among the chemical characteristics showed that organic carbon contributed most towards nutrient availability and found to be positively correlated with all parameters except pH and Zn.

Keywords

Soil Fertility, Soil Nutrient Index, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu.

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