Abstract

Maize is a top-ranking cereal in terms of potential grain productivity and total production. In India, maize cultivation has increased significantly over the years. However, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and agro-chemicals has rendered arable soils unproductive. To make farming sustainable, integrated nutrient management (INM) was introduced, which involves the judicious mix of organics, inorganics, and biofertilizers to promote soil fertility and farm productivity. Studies have shown that the application of poultry manure and vermicompost in combination with inorganic nitrogenous fertilizer can produce significantly higher grain and stover yield in maize. In this study, a field experiment was conducted to optimize INM practices by including organic manures and biofertilizer in combination with inorganic nitrogen source to enhance maize productivity.

Keywords: Organics, inorganics, biofertilizers and soil fertility