Abstract
Three levels of N (40,80,120 kg N ha-1) and P (0,17.5,35 kg P ha-1), and 2 levels of K (0,33 kg K ha-1) were tested for 19 years in rice and wheat crops of a rice-wheat cropping system in a fixed layout of 3×2×2 factorial partially confounded design along with one control and 3 replications. From this trial, data of 7 treatments, i.e. 0-0-0, 40-35-33, 80-35-33, 120-35-33, 120-0-0, 120-35-0 and 120-0-33 kg ha-1 N-P-K respectively were compared for yield trends, changes in response functions, soil organic -C and available N,P,K status. Soil organic - C decreased in unfertilized plots by 62% (over initial value of 0.45%) but increased by 44, 40 and 36% in plots receiving 120-35-33, 120-35-0 and 80-35-33 kg ha-1 N-P-K respectively. Available N was also greatest in these same three treatments. Available soil P increased by about 5 fold in 15 years in treatments supplied with fertilizer P, but no significant change was detected in treatments without P addition. Yields of rice and wheat exhibited linear declining trend in all treatments. The highest rate of decline (89 kg ha-1 year-1 in rice and 175 kg ha-1 year-1 in wheat), however, was found when 120 kg ha-1 N was applied alone. The least rate of decline of 20 kg ha-1 year-1 in rice and 58 kg ha-1 year-1 in wheat was observed when 40-35-33 kg ha-1 N-P-K respectively was applied to both the crops. At currently recommended levels of NPK (120-35-33 kg ha-1), the rate of decline in yields was 25 kg ha-1 year-1 for rice and 62 kg ha-1 year-1 for wheat. Possible causes of these yield declines are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barraclough PB, Kuhlmann H & Weir AH (1989) The effects of prolonged drought and nitrogen fertilizer on root and shoot growth and water uptake by winter wheat. J Agron Crop Sci 163: 352- 360
Cassman KG, De Datta SK, Olk DG, Alcantara JM, Samson MI, Descalsota JP & Dizon MA (1995) Yield decline and nitrogen economy of long term experiments on continuous irrigated rice systems in the tropics. In: Lal R & Stewart BA (eds) Sustainable Management of Soils. Lewiston Publishers, CRC Press Inc., Michigan
Cassman KG & Pingali PL (1995) Extrapolating trends from long term experiments to farmers' field: The case of irrigated rice sytems in Asia. In: Burnett V, Payne R & Steiner R (eds) Agricultural Sustainability: Economic, Environmental and Sustainable Considerations, pp 63–84. John Wiley and Sons, London
Dobermann A, Cassman KG & Cruz PC (1996) Fertilizer inputs nutrients balance and soil nutrient suppling power in intensive, irrigated rice ecosystems-II, Effective K supplying capacity, Nutr Cyc Agroecosyst 46: 11–21
Flinn JC & De Datta SK (1984) Trends in irrigated-rice yields under intensive cropping at Phillippine research stations. Field Crop Res 9: 1–15
Hart PBS, Rayner JH & Jenkinson DS (1986) Influence of pool substitution on the interpretation of fertilizer experiments with 15N. J Soil Sci 37: 389–403
Hegde DM & Dwivedi BS (1992) Nutrient management in ricewheat cropping system in India. Fert News 37(2): 27–41
Hegde DM & Sarkar A (1992) Yield trends in rice-wheat systems in different agro-ecological regions: In: Panday RK, Dwivedi BS & Sharma AK (eds) Rice-wheat Cropping Systems, pp 15–31. Project Directorate for Cropping Svstems Research, Modipuram
Hobbs P & Morris M (1996) Meeting South Asia's Future Food Requirements from Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems: Priority Issues facing Researchers in the Post-Green Revolution Era. NRG Paper 96–01, CIMMYT, Mexico, DF
Jackson ML (1973) Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice Hall of India, Ltd., New Delhi
Olk DC, Cassman KG, Randall EW, Kinchesh P, Sangar LJ & Anderson JM (1996) Changes in chemical properties of soil organic matter with intensified rice cropping in tropical lowland soils. Eur J Soil Sci 47: 293–303
Liljeroth E, Baath E, Mathiasson I & Lundborg T (1990) Root exudation and rhizoplane bacterial abundance of barley in relation to nitrogen fertilization and root growth. Plant Soil 127: 81–89
Malik RK, Yadav A, Garg VK, Balyan RS, Malik YS, Malik RS, Singh S & Dhawan R (1995) Herbicide Resistance: Current Status and Research Findings. Haryana, Agricultural University, Hisar pp 7–10
Modgal SC (1996) Rice-wheat cropping systerns in India. Paper presented in India-IRRI Dialogue held at New Delhi, September 27–29, 1996
Pagiola S (1995) Environmental and Natural Resources Degradation in Intensive Agriculture in Bangladesh. Environment Department Papers. Environmental Economics Series Paper No.15. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
Peng S, Garcia FV, Laza RC, Sanic AL, Visperas RM & Cassman KG (1996) Increased N-use efficiency using a chlorophyll meter on high-yielding irrigated rice. Field Crops Res 47: 243–252
Powlson DS, Pruden G, Johnston AE Jenkinson DS (1986) The nitrogen cycle in the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment: recovery and losses of 15N-labelled fertilizer applied in spring and inputs of nitrogen from the atmosphere. J Agric Sci Cambridge 107: 591–609
Singh R, Mittal SB, Singh AP & Singh M(1983) Studies on depletion pattern of soil potassium in pearlmillet-wheat rotation. J Indian Soc Soil Sci 31: 54–56
Subramaniam KS & Kumarswamy K (1989) Effect of continuous cropping and fertilization on chemical properties of soils. J Indian Soc Soil Sci 39: 171–173
Ushakov VY, Zhezher AY and Yuzhakov AI (1985) The effect of the soil temperature regime on the growth characteristics and functioning of wheat root systems under various nutritional levels during early stages of development. Sib Vest Skh Nauki 1: 22–27
Yadav RL, Prasad K, Gangwar KS & Yadav MS (1995) Means to increase cropping system productivity. Fertil News 40 (12): 67–77
Yoshida S (1981) Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science. International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos. 2269 p
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yadav, R., Yadav, D., Singh, R. et al. Long term effects of inorganic fertilizer inputs on crop productivity in a rice-wheat cropping system. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 51, 193–200 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009744719420
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009744719420