Enhancement of soil fertility level, nutrient use, and wheat yield by fertility and irrigation management practices

High cropping intensity (≈200%) in areas like Bangladesh having high population density (1265/ km² in 2017) and severely limiting per capita land (0.049 ha in 2016) seldom allows time for fallowing and allowing conservation practices for the restoration and maintenance of soil fertility and productivity level. Recurrent losses of fertilizer, low to very low organic matter, NUE have aggravated the situation to a greater gravity. In this research, an initiative has been taken to apply short and quick fertility management and successive irrigation management practices for the enhancement and/or maintenance of soil fertility level, uptake, NUE and yield in a wheat-chili-fallow cropping pattern in northern. Phase-1 comprised of three fertility management practices applied to the fallow period after chili harvest (kharif-2 season): i) no fertilizer (farmers practice: unmanaged and fallow) ii) organic fertilizer (cowdung) and iii) green manuring on organic fertilizer applied field plots. And the phase-2 comprised of two irrigation practices applied to wheat (rabi season) cultivation: i) flood irrigation technique (farmers’ practice), and ii) sprinkler irrigation.

The specific objectives of this study are:

·  To evaluate soil fertility with and without the application of fertility management practices

· To evaluate growth and yield of wheat and NUEs with and without application of fertility and irrigation management practices

· To evaluate residual effect of fertility and irrigation management practices on soil

This research provided a guideline to the farmers for soil fertility and irrigation management and thereby harvest a profitable yield.

This research has been funded by Ministry of National Science and Technology.

• Research Project