Evaluation of integrated nutrient management on soil health, maize productivity and grain quality

Managing various organic residues produced from agricultural waste is today's prominent need. The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of integrated, chemical, and organic fertilizers on maize productivity. Initially, vermicompost was prepared using different organic residues viz., paddy straw, neem leaves and dhaincha leaves, each in combination with cow dung in 1:1 ratio. Further, prepared vermicompost along with integrated nutrient and chemical fertilizer treatments, were tested on maize productivity. The experiment was carried out in Randomized Block Design. The average two-year data revealed the increased yield and yield attributes of maize with integrated nutrient management followed by the recommended dose of fertilizers and different vermicompost treatments. The least maize productivity was noted with control treatment. The different vermicompost treatments comparatively improved the organic carbon (0.43 to 0.45%) and micronutrient status of the soil in the second year of application (Fe- 10.85 to 13.32 mg kg-1, Zn- 2.95 to 4.18 mg kg-1, Cu- 0.55 to 0.73 mg kg-1, Mn- 10.37 to 15.24 mg kg-1). The result of vermicompost application can be recorded higher in terms of improvement in yield and soil properties in the later years, as the initial organic carbon and nutrient content of the experimental soil was recorded to be low, and, it takes almost three to four years for the positive response of soil to the applied organic amendments. Therefore, long-term experiments are required to evaluate the effects of vermicompost on soil chemical properties and maize productivity. The investigation revealed that integrated nutrient treatment proved better in terms of improving the yield and nutrient status of the soil.