Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during summer 2015 to study the integrated nitrogen management in summer pearl millet under south Gujarat conditions. The results revealed that pearl millet GHB-558 performed better by combined application of 50% RDN from chemical fertilizers+25% nitrogen from vermicompost+25% nitrogen from neemcake recorded significantly higher value for plant height, dry matter accumulation per plant, total tillers per plant, earhead length, earhead girth, effective tillers, test weight, grain yield per earhead as well as grain and straw yield over rest of the treatments. Application of 50% RDN from chemical fertilizers+25% nitrogen from vermicompost+25% nitrogen from neemcake was found the most superior and effective treatments in terms of total uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, protein content in grain, grain yield, net returns and B: C ratio. Significantly higher total uptake of nitrogen (99.62 kg/ha), phosphorus (16.37 kg/ha) and potassium (75.23 kg/ha), protein yield in grain (291.03 kg/ha), grain yield (2057 kg/ha), straw yield (5347 kg/ha), net returns (Rs. 18773/ha) and B: C ratio (0.71) were observed. These applications proved most superior treatments for improvement in post-experiment soil fertility by increased soil organic carbon, N, P and K content.