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Diagnosis of Secondary and Micronutrient Deficiencies and Their Management in Rainfed Agroecosystems: Case Study from Indian Semi-arid Tropics

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/179/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00103620903462340
 
Title Diagnosis of Secondary and Micronutrient Deficiencies and Their Management in Rainfed Agroecosystems: Case Study from Indian Semi-arid Tropics
 
Creator Sahrawat, K L
Wani, S P
Pardhasaradhi, G
Murthy, K V S
 
Subject Soil Science
 
Description Rainfed agriculture in the semi-arid tropical (SAT) regions of India is greatly influenced by water shortages caused by low, highly variable, and erratic rainfall. However, apart from water shortages, crop productivity in these regions is also affected by low fertility. Little effort has been devoted to diagnosing and managing the nutrient-related problems in farmers’ fields in the SAT regions of India. The
ongoing integrated watershed management program by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics and its partners provided the opportunity to diagnose the soil infertility-related problems by soil testing, develop nutrient management protocols, and determine on-farm crop responses to fertilization in the SAT zone of India. This article discusses examples from recent
research on the diagnosis of multinutrient deficiencies and on-farm crop responses to fertilization. Results of analyses of soil samples from farmers’ fields in several districts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya
Pradesh states and Junagarh district, Gujarat, showed that almost all farmers’ fields had low organic carbon (C), low to moderate available phosphorus (P), and generally adequate extractable potassium (K). However, the widespread deficiencies of sulfur (S), boron (B), and zinc (Zn) were most revealing; their deficiencies varied with nutrient, district, and state. On-farm trials conducted during three
seasons (2002–2004) in three districts of Andhra Pradesh showed significant yield responses of maize, castor, groundnut, and mung bean to the applications of S, B,
and Zn over farmer’s input treatment, and the yield responses were larger when these nutrients were added along with nitrogen (N) and P. It is concluded that the
deficiencies of nutrients such as S, B, and Zn are widespread and are holding back the potential of rainfed production systems. Clearly, nutrient deficiencies can be
diagnosed by soil testing.
 
Publisher Taylor & Francis
 
Date 2010
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
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Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/179/1/nset16.pdf
Sahrawat, K L and Wani, S P and Pardhasaradhi, G and Murthy, K V S (2010) Diagnosis of Secondary and Micronutrient Deficiencies and Their Management in Rainfed Agroecosystems: Case Study from Indian Semi-arid Tropics. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 41. pp. 346-360. ISSN 0010-3624