Nutrient Optimization and Yield Intensification of Major Cereal Systems of Eastern India

India is the second largest producer of rice in the world with a production of 100 million t in 2010-11. However, it's current productivity is far below it's attainable yield level. Introducing hybrid rice into the predominant cropping system of eastern India and changing the blanket fertilizer recommendations for high yielding varieties (HYV) for rice to site-specific fertilizer recommendations can help boost rice productivity.

IPNI-2013-IND-522

22 May 2017

2016 Annual Interpretive Summary


Optimization of nutrient application in hybrid rice-based cropping system is an important researchable issue in eastern India, especially West Bengal, as rice covers more than 80% of agricultural land in the state. The introduction of hybrid rice is comparatively new and needs special attention in terms of developing nutrient management plans.

The present study was conducted between 2013 and 2016 in farmers’ field in the Barddhaman and Birbhum Districts of West Bengal to evaluate the role of nutrient optimization, and its impact on yield intensification of the HYV rice-Hybrid rice-black gram cropping system of eastern India. The experimental treatments include: Ample dose of N+P+K+S+Zn (T1), nitrogen (N) omission (T2), phosphorus (P) omission (T3), potassium (K) omission (T4), sulfur (S) omission (T5), Zinc (Zn) omission (T6), a local rice variety under the unfertilized check (T7), the local rice variety under ample fertilizer treatment (T8), and the control (without any fertilizer) (T9). Hybrid and HYV rice received nutrient application, while black gram was grown with residual soil fertility.

The yield response study shows that N is the most limiting nutrient for grain production, followed by P and by K. The study also highlighted valuable grain responses of S and Zn from their respective omission plots. Application of ample dose of NPKSZn resulted in the highest net returns and return per Rupee invested. Moreover, the present study also highlighted that the underlying principles of nutrient management need to be carefully identified and evaluated for each nutrient for balanced nutrient management plan. The results also showed that balanced nutrient management practices (including all the necessary nutrients) produced a positive effect on Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) in the rice-based cropping system. A significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher NUE was recorded in crops receiving an ample dose of N, P, K, S, and Zn, compared with the omission plots with –N, –P, –K, –Zn, –S. and control. Increased NUE, across a wide range of rice growing environments with diverse climatic conditions, was related to the effects of improved nutrient management and balanced nutrition.