Vol. 7, Special Issue 6 (2019)

The study was worked out during 2015-16 on Permanent Manurial Trial (PMT) initiated during 1956 at Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, India, to evaluate the long-term effect of nutrient management practices on crop productivity and sustainability of the system in an acid soil under maize-wheat cropping system. The selected treatments were T1-N0P0K0 (control), T2-100%N, T3-100%NP, T4-100%NPK, T5-100%NPK+Lime, T6-Farmyard manure (FYM) alone, T7- - ½ [(N+FYM) + P (A-X/2) + K (B-Y/2)] and T8-Lime+N.

System productivity in terms of mean MEY (maize equivalent yield in kg ha-1) followed the following order: Lime+ NPK (7843) >½ [(N+FYM) + P (A-X/2) + K (B-Y/2)] (6673) > FYM (5449) > Lime +N (4091) > NPK (3487) > NP (2768) > Control (1295) > N (623). Sustainable yield index (SYI) of the system varied from -0.03 to 0.43. 100% NPK + lime treatment recorded the highest sustainable yield index (SYI) of the system (0.43) followed by integrated use of organics and chemical fertilizers (0.36). Negative SYI value was obtained in the treatment receiving 100% N alone (-0.03). The highest value of mean MEY as well as sustainable yield index(SYI) in treatmentT5(100%NPK+Lime) followed by T7- - ½ [(N+FYM) + P (A-X/2) + K (B-Y/2)] suggests that continuous application of lime/ FYM in integration with NPK fertilizers maintained the system productivity and enhanced the sustainability under maize-wheat cropping system in acid soils over the years.