INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN MUSTARD (Brassica juncea L.)

Background - The Oilseed crops generally are one of the most important crops in the world. Their role in human diet and industrial application cannot be underestimated. Among the seven edible oilseeds cultivated in India, rapeseed-mustard contributes 28.6% in the total oilseeds production and ranks second after groundnut sharing 27.8% in the data, mustard seed production is estimated at 109.5 lakh tonnes in 2021-22. Integrated nutrient management approach underlines the basic concept of maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and of plant nutrient supply at an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimization of the benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in and integrated manner. Keeping in view of above production constraints, the combination of organic resources as farm yard manure and poultry manure coupled with the chemical fertilizers has been felt as the need of the hour in order to increase and sustain the oilseed production in the North- West region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand state. Methodology and Result - The combined application of 75% RDF with compost (5 or 2.5 t/ha) significantly improved mustard seed yield and net returns. This combination performed similarly to the full recommended dose of fertilizers. About 25% of chemical fertilizers can be saved using this integrated approach. Conclusion - It offers both economic and environmental benefits. Using compost with reduced RDF supports long-term soil fertility and crop productivity. This practice is especially suitable for the tropical conditions of western U.P. and Uttarakhand plains.