Enhanced nutrient and rainwater use efficiency in maize and soybean with secondary and micronutrient amendments in the rainfed semi-arid tropics

• Published in: Archiv für Acker- und Pflanzenbau und Bodenkunde Vol. 61; no. 3; pp. 285 - 298
• Main Authors: Chander, Girish, Wani, Suhas P, Sahrawat, K.L, Rajesh, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 04.03.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: boron; corn; crops; food production; grain yield; harvest index; micronutrients deficiency; N use efficiency; nitrogen; nutrient uptake; nutrition; nutritive value; P use efficiency; phosphorus; rain; rainfed agriculture; rainwater use efficiency; soybeans; sulfur; tropics; zinc; India
• ISSN: 1476-3567; 0365-0340; 1476-3567
• DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2014.928928

In view of widespread deficiencies, a long-term experiment was started at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India in 2007 to identify economically efficient application strategy (full or 50% dose every or every second year) of sulphur (S) (30 kg ha ⁻¹), boron (B) (0.5 kg ha ⁻¹) and zinc (Zn) (10 kg ha ⁻¹). During the fourth year in 2010, balanced fertilization through adding S, B and Zn increased maize grain yield by 13–52% and soybean yield by 16–28% compared to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization alone. Balanced nutrition increased N and P uptake, utilization and use efficiency for grain yield and harvest index indicating improved grain nutritional quality. The N, P plus 50% of S, B and Zn application every year recorded highest crop yields and N and P efficiencies indices and increased rainwater use efficiency with a benefit:cost ratio of 11.9 for maize and 4.14 for soybean. This study showed the importance of a deficient secondary nutrient S and micronutrients B, Zn in improving N and P use efficiency while enhancing economic food production.