Abstract

FYM and NPK were continuously added for over 20 years in the cropping sequence of maize-cowpea-finger millet in a Typic Ustropept clay loam soil at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbtore to study their effect on soil fertility and crop productivity. Among the ten treatments, FYM and NPK and increasing levels of NPK fertilization significantly increased the available N, P and K and organic carbon content in the soil and the biomass yield and uptake of major nutrients in maize being the 55th crop in this study. Continuous fertilization with N only resulted in depletion of available P and not much variation was observed for available K. Exclusion of S from fertilizer schedule had not resulted in adverse yield reduction.

Keywords: Effect, FYM, Fertilizers, Available Nutrients, Biomass, Yield