Estimation of Nutrient Uptake and Available Nutrient Status of Rabi Safflower Through Soil Test Crop Response in Rainfed Ecosystem

Background: Adoption of SSNM is directly affected by cost of fertilizer. Soil test crop response (STCR) concept attribute to contribution of soil and targeted yield level for fertilizer recommendation for a selected crop. This approach is also known as prescription based fertilizer recommendations. It is specific type of soil, climatic condition and specific location. Nutrient requirement is differ for different crops. The available soil nutrients efficient used and added to those available soil nutrients through fertilizers is different for different type of soil geography under a particular set of climatic conditions. Methods: A research experiment was carried out during rabi 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 at Research Farm of Agronomy, Dr. P.D.K.V, Akola (Maharashtra). Fertilizers were applied based on uptake pattern of crop, target yield levels and soil test values. The experiment was laid out in FRBD-Factorial randomized block design with two factors. Total 15 treatment combinations were formed which replication 4 times. Result: Significantly greater uptake of nitrogen (62.76, 74.67 and 81.89 kg ha-1), phosphorus (19.15, 24.32 and 29.38 kg ha-1), potassium (80.32, 92.14 and 99.18 kg ha-1), sulphur (18.46, 24.10 and 26.03 kg ha-1) and zinc (493.97, 571.01 and 620.91 g ha-1) recorded in treatment where crop supplied with farm yard manure @ 5 t ha-1 than rest of treatments during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively. A similar trend was observed in respect of soil nutrient status such as available N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn. Application of fertilizers through soil test crop response equation with zinc sulphate @ 25 kg ha-1 and Sulphur @ 10 kg ha-1 registered maximum total uptake of nitrogen (66.89, 78.99 and 90.06 kg ha-1), phosphorus (20.78, 25.31 and 31.96 kg ha-1), potassium (86.05, 97.99 and 109.09 kg ha-1), sulphur (20.27, 26.39 and 29.80 kg ha-1) and zinc (537.78, 618.06 and 696.21 g ha-1) than rest of nutrient management treatments during three years of field experiment, respectively. The same trend was observed with respect to available N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn under respective treatment during three years of experimentation.