Sustaining Soil Health and Soybean Productivity with Partial Substitution of Nutrients through Gliricidia Green Manuring and Chemical Fertilizers in Vertisols of Central India

The present study was conducted to study the effect of partial substitutionof nutrient through Gliricidia with chemical fertilizers on soil health and soybeanproductivity in Vertisols under AICRP for Dryland Agriculture, Dr. PanjabraoDeshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola-444104 (M.S.) during 2009-13. Theexperiment was laid out with nine treatments comprised of application of potassiumthrough chemical fertilizers and gliricidia along with recommended dose of N and P(inorganic source) in a randomized block design with three replications. The pooled-1 data indicated that application of 100% NP + 25 kg K ha + biofertilizers had highestsoybean grain yield followed by application of 50% N through gliricidia +50% N-1 through inorganics+ biofertilizers + 25 kg K ha which were on par with each other.The higher SYI and monetary returns were obtained with the application ofsubstitution of 50 % N through gliricidia along with 50 % N through inorganics andbiofertilizer which were statistically on par with application 100 % NP along with 25kg K through chemical fertilizers. The results of the study also indicated significantlyhigher enhancement in soil organic carbon, residual soil fertility and nutrient uptakeby soybean with the application of 50 % N through gliricidia along with 50 % Nthrough inorganics and biofertilizer. Hence, it can concluded that for sustaining soilfertility and soybean productivity with higher economic returns, application of 50%-1 N (25kg ha ) through gliricidia +50% N through inorganics + biofertilizers + 25kg-1 P O + 25kg K O ha is recommended as an integrated plant nutrient supply system on 2 5 2Vertisols under dryland condition in central India.