Effect of Inorganic and Integrated Long-term Nutrient Management on DTPA-extractable Micronutrients in a Vertisol under Soybean-wheat Cropping System across the Soil Depth

The status of DTPA extractable micronutrient (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) in response of continuous application of different inorganic and organic fertilizer combination in a 48 years old ongoing long-term fertilizer experiment (AICRP-LTFE) were investigated in Vertisol at Department of Soil Science, and Agricultural Chemistry, JNKVV, Jabalpur under intensive cultivation of soybean- wheat cropping system in 2021. The treatments selected for the study were: control (T1); 100% NP(T2); 100% NPK (T3); 100% NPK+FYM (T4); 100% N(T5); 50% NPK (T6); 150% NPK (T7). Application of FYM along with balance fertilizer (100% NPK) significantly increased the micronutrients availability in soil. On contrast, Imbalance fertilization caused a lower level of micronutrients in soil even below to the critical limit in case of zinc. A decreasing trend with increase in soil depth irrespective of type of nutrient management and micronutrient type was evident in the study. Findings of the present study emphasized the application of balance fertilization along with organic sources like FYM for sustaining micronutrients availability in Vertisol under soybean-wheat cropping system.