Assessment of nutrient requirement for spring brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) through soil test crop response approach on north indian mollisol

Soil test crop response (STCR) based fertilizer prescription was carried out on brinjal to optimize the fertilizer doses. The field experiment was conducted at N.E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar (Latitude 29o N, Longitude 79o29' E and Altitude of 243.84 m above mean sea level) during spring season of 2017-18 to study the effect of soil and applied nutrients on brinjal to ensure balanced fertilization. Response of brinjal to selected combinations of three levels of FYM (0, 10 and 20 t ha-1), four levels of nitrogen (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha-1), four levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P2O5 ha-1) and four levels of potassium (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg K2O ha-1) in different soil fertility strips was studied. Basic data for fertilizer prescription was computed on the basis of soil analysis, nutrient uptake and fruit yield. Nutrient requirement to produce one quintal of brinjal fruit was 0.464, 0.112 and 0.208 kg N, P2O5 and K2O, respectively. Per cent contribution of available N, P2O5 and K2O was 31.1, 23.1 and 13.2, respectively from soil; 64.8, 89.2 and 82.1, respectively from FYM; 25.4, 22.9 and 18.8, respectively from fertilizer; and 35.1, 33.9 and 36.7 from conjoint use of fertilizer and FYM, respectively. Fertilizer prescription equations were generated by these basic data. These fertilizer prescription equations are valuable for efficient and judicious use of costly fertilizers to improve farmer’s economic conditions.