Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on Soil Physico-chemical Properties in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Intercrop under Beul (Grewia optiva Drummond.) Based Agroforestry System and Open Condition

The raising human health hazards due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in India leads cancer patients. To overcome such problems there is need of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) in our major crop wheat and further to improve soil fertility under agroforestry system. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out to study the impact of INM on the physical and chemical properties of soil when wheat intercropped under Beul (Grewia optiva) based agroforestry system in the mid-hill region of Himachal Pradesh at Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP (India). INM practices were applied to evaluate their effectiveness in enhancing soil fertility, crop yield, and overall soil health. The experimental setup included various treatment combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizers viz., T1: RDF, T2: FYM, T3: Vermicompost, T4: Goat manure, T5: 50% RDF+50% FYM, T6: 50% RDF+50% VC, T7: 50% RDF+50% GM, and T8: Control to determine their synergistic effects on the soil and cereal crop. These treatments were randomly assigned to plots under two planting conditions: S1 (under Beul based agroforestry system) and S2 (open condition), with three replications each, following in a factorial randomized block design (RBD). The key physical parameters such as bulk density (g/cm3), particle density (g/cm3), porosity (%), and soil moisture (%) were measured along with chemical properties of soil including soil pH, EC (dS/m1), organic carbon content (%), and nutrient availability of N, P and K in kg per hectare. The soil data of two consecutive years and pooled data were analyzed in R Statistical Software. The results demonstrated that INM significantly improved both the physical and chemical soil properties in agroforestry system as compared to control treatment i.e. open condition. The use of 100 % FYM found to be best treatment during the course of study among various treatments of INM for soil porosity, soil moisture, soil pH, available N, P and K. The soil structure and nutrient availability were increased in second year as compared to first year which will lead to improve the growth and yield of wheat crop. The study underscores the importance of adopting INM practices in agroforestry system to achieve sustainable agriculture as well as chemical free agriculture in hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh which will be helpful for human health. Thus, the use 100% FYM fertilizer is recommended for farmers in hilly area of Himachal Pradesh for sustainable agriculture and natural farming. The findings provide valuable insights for farmers and policymakers aiming to optimize crop production and maintain soil health in similar agro-ecological zones.