IMPACT OF INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ON SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL FERTILITY UNDER INDIAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA JUNCEA L.)

Abstract

gA field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2024-25 and 2025-26 at the Student Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India to evaluate the impact of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on soil physico-chemical properties and soil fertility under Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with three replications comprising ten nutrient management treatments involving different combinations of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and Azotobacter. Soil samples collected after harvest were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. Integrated application of organic manures, biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers significantly improved soil health over the control. The treatment comprising 50% RDF + PSB + 2.0 t ha-1 vermicompost + 5.0 t ha-1 FYM (T10) recorded the lowest bulk density (1.24 Mg m-3), particle density (2.34 Mg m-3), soil pH (7.47) and electrical conductivity (0.32 dS m-1), while exhibiting the highest total porosity (46.02%), water holding capacity (39.51%), cation exchange capacity (14.15 Cmol(p⁺) kg-1), organic carbon (0.451%), exchangeable calcium (3.40 Cmol(p⁺) kg-1) and magnesium (1.00 Cmol(p⁺) kg-1) in T10.  However, the highest available nitrogen (198.83 kg ha-1) was recorded under 100% RDF (T2), whereas the maximum available phosphorus (24.08 kg ha-1), potassium (228.42 kg ha-1) and sulphur (9.75 kg ha-1) were observed under 75% RDF + PSB + 1.0 t ha-1 vermicompost + 2.5 t ha-1 FYM (T6). The study demonstrates that integrated nutrient management effectively enhances soil physical and chemical properties while improving nutrient availability, thereby contributing to sustainable mustard production.