Residue and Potassium Management Strategies to Improve Crop Productivity, Potassium Mobilization, and Assimilation under Zero-Till Maize–Wheat Cropping System

Raghavendra Madar, Yudh Vir Singh, Mahesh Chand Meena, Tapas Kumar Das, Venkatesh Paramesh, Fahed A. Al-Mana, Mohamed A. Mattar and Hosam O. Elansary
Additional contact information
Raghavendra Madar: ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research, Khandwa Road, Indore 452001, Madhya Pradesh, India
Yudh Vir Singh: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Mahesh Chand Meena: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Tapas Kumar Das: ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
Venkatesh Paramesh: ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Ela, Old Goa, Goa 403402, India
Fahed A. Al-Mana: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed A. Mattar: Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Hosam O. Elansary: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Understanding of the potassium (K) nutrient cycle and its microbial transformation of unavailable forms of soil K to plant-available K is crucial in any agroecosystem for strategic nutrient management through inorganic fertilizer, crop residue (CR), and microbial applications. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of crop residue and K management practices on crop productivity, K mobilization from native soil K-pool, and crop assimilation of K under a zero-till maize–wheat cropping system. The experiment consisted of four residue levels (0, 2, 4, and 6 Mg ha −1 ) and five K levels (0, 50%, 100%, 150% RDK [recommended dose of K] and 50% RDK + potassium solubilizing bacteria, KSB). Results showed that CR retention at 6.0 Mg ha −1 significantly improved grain yield (of maize by 10.17%; wheat by 9.87%), dry matter accumulation, K uptake and redistribution in native soil K pools (water soluble K (WSK), exchangeable K (EK) and non-exchangeable K (NEK)) at 30 and 60 days after sowing and at harvest as compared to no CR. Among the K management, 50% RDK+KSB reported significantly higher grain yield (of maize by 26.22%; wheat by 24.70%), dry matter accumulation, K uptake, and native K pools (WSK, EK, and NEK) at different growth stages compared to no K. Total K did not differ significantly due to residue and K management. The highest actual change of K reported with 6.0 Mg ha −1 CR (51 kg ha −1 ) and 50% RDK+KSB (59 kg ha −1 ) over control. Significant ( p ≤ 0.01) positive correlation was found among grain yield, dry matter accumulation, K uptake, the actual change in K and different native K pools. It can be concluded that retention of 6 Mg ha −1 CR and supply of 50% K through inorganic fertilizer along with seed inoculation of KSB biofertilizers, improved crop growth, productivity by enhancing K assimilation as a consequence of the release of non-exchangeable K and through the application of CR and K treatments under a zero tillage maize–wheat system.

Keywords: conservation agriculture; cropping system; K-balance; K-dynamics; potassium solubilizing bacteria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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