Five decadal nutrient management effects on productivity, sustainability and soil properties in a maize–wheat system on Alfisols of North‐western Himalayas

ABSTRACT The excessive use of fertilisers with intensive farming practices has threatened the sustainability of agricultural systems, particularly in acid soils. It is crucial to understand the long‐term impacts of fertilisers and amendments on yield sustainability and soil properties. This study aimed to determine the long‐term effects of chemical fertilisers and amendments on yield sustainability, nutrient uptake, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and di‐ethylene tri‐amine penta acetic acid (DTPA)‐extractable micronutrients content. The study is a part of a long‐term experiment initiated in 1972 on Alfisols of North‐western Himalayas. Ten treatments comprising chemical fertilisers, FYM and lime, and one unfertilised control, were replicated thrice in a randomised block design. The results revealed that the application of 100% NPK + FYM improved the grain yield, straw yield and sustainable yield index (SYI) of wheat by 67.5, 65.0, and 68.0%, respectively, over NPK alone. The nutrient uptake by wheat and SOC sequestration was significantly higher in 100% NPK + FYM and 100% NPK + lime treatments than the rest of the treatments. The application of 100% NPK + FYM increased the DTPA‐extractable iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) by 17.8, 74.7, 98.4 and 31.0%, respectively, over NPK alone and found to be statistically at par with the treatment 100% NPK + lime.