Nutrient Management Interventions for Sustainable Maize Production in Rainfed Vertisols

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, during the kharif season of 2025 to evaluate nutrient management interventions for sustainable maize production under rainfed Vertisols. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design with seven treatments and three replications. The initial soil was alkaline (pH 8.12), with an electrical conductivity of 0.16 dS m⁻¹, organic carbon of 0.41%, and available N, P and K contents of 184, 56.25 and 345 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Growth, yield attributes, grain and stover yield, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil fertility were assessed. The 100% recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF) produced the highest grain yield (6800 kg ha⁻¹), stover yield (8770 kg ha⁻¹), and N, P and K uptake (130.6, 38.05 and 127.5 kg ha⁻¹, respectively). The 75% RDF + FYM at 10 t ha⁻¹ treatment produced 6452 kg ha⁻¹ grain yield, which was statistically comparable with 100% RDF because the difference was lower than the critical difference. Post-harvest available N, P and K were highest under 100% RDF, while organic carbon was numerically higher under treatments receiving organic inputs. Under the conditions of this single-season experiment, 75% RDF + FYM at 10 t ha⁻¹ provided a promising integrated nutrient-management option for maintaining maize productivity while reducing mineral fertiliser input.