Effect of Different Fertilizer Recommendation Approaches on Yield, Profitability and Nutrient Uptake by Wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Acid Alfisols of North Western Himalayas

A field experiment was conducted on wheat crop during rabi, 2019-20 at the experimental farm of Soil Science, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur. The study comprised of nine treatments (control, farmers’ practice, general recommended dose, soil test based fertilizer application, Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) based application of fertilizers for target yield of 25 q ha-1 and target yield of 35 q ha-1 without farmyard manure (FYM), Soil Test Crop Response based Integrated plant nutrition system (STCR-IPNS) application of fertilizers for target yield of 25 q ha-1 and target yield of 35 q ha-1 with FYM @ 5 t ha-1 and one Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) treatment). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments that were replicated thrice. The effects of different fertilizers recommendation approaches on yield, profitability and nutrient uptake in wheat were evaluated. Different treatments had a significant effect on the yield and nutrient uptake of wheat crop. STCR treatment for the target yield of 35 q ha-1 with FYM resulted in the highest wheat grain yield (35.4 q ha-1). However, the highest BC ratio was recorded in treatment for target yield 35 q ha-1 without FYM followed by treatment 25 q ha-1 without FYM. A significant increase in N, P, K and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) uptake by wheat grain and straw was observed in STCR based target yield plots as compared to general recommended dose, farmers’ practice, and control. The STCR-based target yield approach maximizes economic yields by supplying nutrients precisely according to crop requirements, thereby enhancing fertilizer use efficiency and conserving expensive fertilizers.