Sudarshan Dutta

Management practices of macronutrients for potato for smallholder farming system at alluvial soil (Entisols) of India

ABSTRACT In the present study, seven fertilizer treatments [T1, 50% NPK; T2, 100% NPK (Recommended dose of fertilizer, 200–65.4–124.5 kg N-P-K ha−1); T3, 150% NPK; T4, 100% PK; T5, 100% NK; T6, 100% NP and T7, control (zero NPK)] with four replications were assessed in the new alluvial soil zone (Entisols) of West Bengal, India. The objectives of the study were to generate information on potato productivity, profitability, indigenous nutrient supply and net gain/loss of NPK in post-harvest soil. Plants grown under higher NPK supply resulted in higher tuber yield and there were significant (p ≤ 0.05) reductions in total yield with nutrient omissions. Nutrient−limited yields were 19.78, 2.83 and 1.77 t ha−1 for N, P and K, considering total tuber yield (28.24 t ha−1) obtained under 100% NPK as targeted yield. Indigenous nutrient supply of N, P and K were estimated at 24.1, 22.34 and 110.22 kg ha−1, respectively that indicates higher K−supplying capacity of experimental soil as compared to N and P. Net income (US

Nutrient Mining: Addressing the Challenges to Soil Resources and Food Security

1349 ha−1 year−1) and B:C ratio (1.91) was highest with 100% NPK, and further addition of NPK (150%) resulted in decrease on net return (US

Understanding biophysical and socio-economic determinants of maize (Zea mays L.) yield variability in eastern India

1193 ha−1 year−1) and B:C ratio (1.73).

Nutrient management in wheat: current scenario, improved strategies and future research needs in India

Increasing population demands higher production and productivity of crops. Consequently, maintenance of soil fertility is a must for sustainable agriculture and future food security. Agriculturally productive soils have a pool of indigenous nutrients at any given point of time that are stored within the soil and may be available for supporting plant growth. This pool of nutrients, along with nutrient inputs from other sources such as irrigation water, crop residues, etc., constitutes the inherent soil nutrient-supplying capacity. There are several sinks of the native nutrients in the soil, most notably plant removal. Sustenance of inherent fertility of soils depends largely on replenishment of plant nutrients to the soil that are removed through intensive cultivation. Nutrient mining or negative balance between nutrient input and output results when the crop nutrient removal and nutrient losses to other sinks become higher than the soil-inherent nutrient supply. Current nutrient management strategies adopted by most farmers promote nutrient mining, as nutrient applications are inadequate and imbalanced. The application of 4R Nutrient Stewardship Principles, i.e., application of right source of fertilizer at right rate and time through a right method, has the potential to reduce nutrient mining from soils. These core principles help manage nutrients in a manner that crop productivity is sustained or improved without soil fertility depletion, and farm production economics is improved while environmental impact of agricultural nutrients is minimized.