Nutrient use efficiency is reported as a strong indicator of the buildup soil nutrient status for nutritional security of crops through an integrated nutrient management approach under a rice-wheat system. The data revealed that integrated application of manures and fertilizers reported maximum organic carbon (0.39%) in the treatment receiving 100% of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + farmyard manure and lowering the pH to 6.39. The maximum available N (360.8 kg ha⁻¹) was found in 100% RDF + press mud treatment; available P (66.30 kg ha⁻¹) was found in 75% RDF + poultry manure; and available K, Zn, Cu, and Fe (226.3 kg ha⁻¹ and 2.220, 0.732, and 36.87 mg kg⁻¹, respectively) in 100% RDF + farmyard manure treatments. Similarly, total macro- and micronutrient content in soil increased with the addition of organic manures alone or in combination with chemical fertilizers. The highest agronomic efficiency and utilization efficiency of nitrogen (41.83 and 102.55 kg kg⁻¹, respectively) and phosphorous (83.57 and 204.9 kg kg⁻¹, respectively) were recorded in the treatment receiving 75% RDF + poultry manure. This study concluded that the integrated application of manures and chemical fertilizers is a must for improving soil nutrient status and nutrient use efficiency and ultimately enhances nutritional security under a rice-wheat system.

The impact of different soil orders and land use systems on the distribution of physico-chemical properties is the most critical matter to address in order to maintain sustainable agricultural production. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to study the variation in the physico-chemical characteristics of soil in diverse land use systems (LUSs), i.e., agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, under major soil orders (entisol, inceptisol, and alfisol) in the Majha region of Punjab. A total of 225 depth-wise (at 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm, 60–80 cm and 80–100 cm) soil samples were collected from three land-use systems under different soil orders. The mean values of the physico-chemical properties ranged from 6.80–7.50, 7.64–8.34 and 6.94–7.87 for pH; 0.13–0.42, 0.19–0.54 and 0.19–0.46 dS m⁻¹ for EC; 0.14–0.99, 0.21–0.69 and 0.15–0.72% for OC; 0.75–2.07, 1.07–3.32 and 0.93–2.29% for CaCO₃; 7.77–41.84, 10.56–40.23 and 7.24–39.51 kg ha⁻¹ for P; and 98.37–334.68, 94.51–230.18 and 93.01–367.39 kg ha⁻¹ for K under different land uses in soil orders entisols, inceptisols and alfisols, respectively. Soil parameters including pH, CaCO₃, and phosphorus (P) distribution differed significantly among soil orders; however, soil EC, organic carbon (OC) and available potassium (K) did not. The inceptisols under the agricultural land use system (ALUS) had the highest soil pH, EC, and CaCO₃ values. The highest soil OC content was found in entisols under forest land use systems (FLUS), followed by horticultural land use systems (HLUS). The highest values of soil-available phosphorous (P) were found in FLUS under inceptisols, while the highest amounts of soil-available potassium (K) were found in entisols and alfisols under ALUS and FLUS, respectively. Thus, the distribution of physico-chemical properties under different LUSs in each soil order is highly variable and does not follow any particular trend. In general, soil properties such as OC, P, and K content decreased with an increase in soil depth, while pH and CaCO₃ values increased with depth in all land uses and soil orders. There was a positive correlation between soil OC and EC, as well as available P and K in the soils investigated. The available P and K are negatively correlated with soil pH and CaCO₃ content in the soil. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that soil pH and OC were the most variable soil parameters, which influence the availability of other physico-chemical properties under different soil orders and land use systems. Therefore, it is suggested that the land use systems play an important role in the distribution of physico-chemical properties of soil in different soil orders. The results of the study will help students, researchers, and agricultural management staff in managing different land uses for maintaining soil fertility and productivity in alluvial soils of North-western India.

The nutritional value of Glycine max L. (soybean) and its yield potential for improving sustainability of agricultural systems has resulted into its increased production. Soybean crop has potential to replace the rice crop in the rice-wheat cropping system. However, the crop has shown high sensitivity towards iron (Fe) deficiency, and thus recorded major yield and nutritional quality losses. Thus, a three-year field experiment was planned to compare the impact of the application rate (0.5% and 1.0%) and number of sprays of FeSO₄ on yield, Fe nutrition, and economic outcomes of soybeans. The Fe application posed a beneficial impact on the studied parameters due to an increase in enzymatic activity of Fe-containing enzymes. Among various treatments, maximum increase in grain and straw yield (3064 and 9341 kg ha⁻¹, respectively) was obtained with 0.5% FeSO₄ application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS over the control (2397 and 6894 kg ha⁻¹, respectively). Similar results were attained for grain Fe concentration (69.9 mg kg⁻¹) and Fe uptake in grain and straw (214 and 9088 g ha⁻¹, respectively). The results were statistically non-significant, with the treatment in which 0.5% FeSO₄ was applied at 30 and 60 DAS. The economic returns of soybean cultivation were also highest with 0.5% FeSO₄ application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS with highest benefit; the cost (3.02) followed by treatment in which 0.5% FeSO₄ was applied at 30 and 60 DAS. Thus, 0.5% FeSO₄ application at 30, 60, and 90 DAS can be recommended for soybeans grown on sandy loam soil followed by 0.5% FeSO₄ application at 30and 60 DAS to harness maximum yield, Fe concentration, and profitability.

The results on the effect of three decade long term application of chemical fertilizers and amendments on the yield of continuous maize-wheat crop rotation in an acid alfisol at Palampur revealed that continuous omission of essential nutrients in a maize-wheat sequence resulted in an appreciable decline in the grain yield of maize and wheat crops. A remarkable reduction in crop yield was noticed in plots where nitrogen was applied alone. Use of recommended level of N alone through urea had deleterious effect on crop productivity. The continuous exhaustion of native pools of K in 100% NP treated plots appreciably reduced percent grain yield. Application of farmyard manure (FYM) and lime along with NPK fertilizers increased the crop yield. The integrated use of optimal dose of NPK and FYM give better and more sustainable yields.