Assessment of fertilizer prescription equations, crop and soil performance with different nutrient management practices for green gram (Vigna radiata) in Southern India’s Alfisols

The effect of fertilizers application based on "fertilizing the soil versus fertilizing the crop" which ensure real balance between the applied and available soil nutrient is urgently needed. Hence, the present study was conducted during two consecutive crop seasons (Kharif 2022 and Kharif 2023) to assess the effect of imbalanced and balanced fertilization based on initial soil test values and targeted yields, and to determine the effect of different approaches of nutrient recommendation on soil quality, nutrient acquisition, and yield of green gram. The eight fertilizer treatments were laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that STCR integrated approach showed seed yield increases of 41.07% and 55.24% over GFRD, and 54.90% and 64.65% over SFR in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Similarly, root nodules per plant increased by 17.41% and 20.78% over GFRD in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The STCR approach for different yield targets also showed significant improvements in nutrient uptake and value cost ratio (VCR). Utilizing the principal component analysis, the soil quality index effectively reflected the impact of nutrient management on soil properties, with the STCR-integrated application showing the highest correlation with improved soil physical and chemical properties.