Fertility Mapping and Balanced Fertilization for Sustaining Higher Productivity of the Pearl Millet-Wheat Cropping System in Agra District
The project aims at Improving pearl millet-wheat cropping system yield through balanced fertilization based on assessment of nutrient availability through a plant-based approach.
IPNI-2010-IND-506
22 Feb 2010
2009 Annual Interpretive Summary
Fertility Mapping and Balanced Fertilization for Sustaining Higher Productivity of Wheat in Agra District, 2009
The project evaluates a plant-based approach to site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) to manage farm nutrient variability. This approach uses a crop-based estimate of indigenous nutrient supply to determine the yield supported by the soil in absence of a limiting nutrient when all other nutrients are adequate. On-farm testing aims to quantify the variation in soil nutrient supply in wheat areas in Western Uttar Pradesh to develop a SSNM approach that improves on common farm practice (FP)
Twenty omission plot trials have been started in winter wheat in four villages. The study compared five treatments including omission plots for N, P, K, S, and the complete treatment of 180-90-100-35 kg N-P2O5-K2O-S/ha that also provided a blanket dose of micronutrients. The mid-season evaluation of the standing crop showed marked variability in nutrient supplying capacity of the soils as evidenced by severity of nutrient deficiency symptoms across sites.
Concurrently, intensive geo-referenced soil sampling was done in a selected village at a predetermined grid size. Soil samples are being analyzed for several parameters, including nutrients. Surface maps for different nutrients will be developed from latitude/longitude coordinates and analyzed parameters of samples. These maps will be utilized for making fertilizer recommendations for the subsequent crop. NWZ India-74