UG lecture notes

Lecture No. 32

Sources methods and scheduling of nutrient for different soils and crops grown under

rainfed and irrigated condition

Source, method and scheduling of nutrient

Sources of nutrients in soil

Straight fertilizers:

Complex or Compound fertilizers:

Fertilizer mixtures/Mixed fertilizers:

Micro nutrient fertilizers:

These are the nutrients which supply the nutrients required in smaller quantities. These are
the chemicals which supply the elements required by the plant in very small quantity. E.g.:
Copper Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Borax, Sodium Borate, Manganese Sulphate, Sodium
Molybdate, Ammonium Molybdate, Ferrous Sulphate, etc.

Soil amendments:

These are those which improve the soil by correcting its acidic or saline, or alkaline
conditions and neutralizing the injurious effects that may result from improper use of
fertilizer. E.g.: Lime, Gypsum, Sulphur, and Molasses. These are the substances that
influence the plant growth favourably by producing the soil one or more of the following
beneficial effects:

1. Changing the soil reactions i.e. making the soil less acidic (Lime) or less alkaline (Gypsum).
2. Changing the plant nutrients in the soil from unavailable forms.

4. Improving the physical condition of soil (Molasses).

5. Correcting the effects of injurious substance.

Bio-fertilizers/Microbial innoculents:

It may be defined as preparation containing live or latent cells of the efficient strains of N
fixing, phosphate solubilizing or cellulytic micro organisms. These are used for application to
seed, soil or decomposing areas to increase the no. of such certain microbial process to make
the nutrients in available form to plants such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Blue-
green algae and Azolla.
Organic manures:

Crop residues:

Green manures:

(Write the description as given in notes of INM and fertilizers)

Time and method of fertilizer application

In order to get maximum benefit from manures and fertilizers, they should not only be
applied in proper time and in right manner but any other aspects should also be given careful
consideration. The aspects that require consideration in fertilizer application are listed below:

1. Availability of nutrients in manures and fertilizers.

2. Nutrient requirements of crops at different stages of crop growth.

3. Soil nutrient bio availability

4. Time of application.

5. Methods of application, placement of fertilizers.

6. Foliar application.

7. Crop response to fertilizers application and interaction of N, P, and K.

8. Residual effect of manures and fertilizers.

9. Crop response to different nutrient carrier.

10. Unit cost of nutrients and economics of manuring.

Fertilizers are applied by different methods mainly for 3 purposes:

1. To make the nutrients easily available to crops,

2. To reduce fertilizer losses

 3. Ease of application.

The time and method of fertilizer application vary in relation to

1) The nature of fertilizer.

2) Soil type and

3) The differences in nutrient requirement and nature of field crops.

principal factors to be considered for application of fertilizers:

1. The nitrogenous fertilizers must be applied in split doses so that the nitrogen losses through
leaching and washing could be reduced, as nitrogen, being readily soluble and highly mobile,
is subject to these losses very easily. Half of the total quantity of the required nitrogen should
be applied as basal and rest half in split doses.

2. Except in acidic and highly alkaline soils, the phosphate must be applied in one dose as
basal placement. In acidic soils, rock, phosphate, bone meal or basic slag may be applied at
least a fortnight before sowing or crop planting

3. The potassic fertilizers should be applied in splits application along with nitrogen as top-
dressing for better response

4. Sandy soils need split application of nitrogen for a reduced loss of nitrogen through leaching.

5. Lime should be applied atleast 15 days prior to organic manure application.

6. Lime and organic manures should not be applied together

7. Organic manures and chemical fertilizers should not be applied together.

8. Application of fertilizers should be done in moist soil

9. Phosphatic fertilizers and boron fertilizers should not be applied together. P and Zn
fertilizers should not be applied together.
1. Total required quantity of nitrogen may be applied at one time as basal before sowing or
planting of the crop. Therefore, broadcasting or furrow placement may be used.

2. Phosphorus, being least mobile, must be applied in one dose which may be in easy reach of
plant roots. This helps in easy absorption by plants and reduces the extent of phosphate
fixation in soils. Therefore, the phosphate fertilizers must be applied soon before sowing or
planting because a wide gap between application and sowing accelerates phosphate fixation
in the soil after application.

3. In sandy soils potassium is lost by rapid leaching hence a supplemental dose of potash can
be given in the form of top dressing for greater response. However in heavy soils it may be
applied like phosphate.

4. Mixed or complex fertilizers having two or more plant nutrients have not shown beneficial
effects when applied as top-dressing hence such fertilizer materials should be applied as basal
before sowing or planting of corps. The additional dose of nitrogen, if required, should be
applied through nitrogen carrier as top dressing.

5. All other elements are generally present in soil abundantly but if any of them deficient for
a particular crop then it may be applied in both the ways i.e., either through spraying over
foliage or applied in soil as basal dressing which is mixed properly into the soil.

6. Soil amendments and conditioners should always be applied at least one month before
sowing or planting of crops through broadcasting and proper mixing into the soil.

Method of fertilizer application depends on nature of fertilizer materials, therefore,

following methods have been suggested according to the nature of materials:
METHODS OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION

The different methods of fertilizer application are as follows:

A) Broadcasting

1. It refers to spreading fertilizers uniformly all over the field.

2. Suitable for crops with dense stand, the plant roots permeate the whole volume of the
soil, large doses of fertilizers are applied and insoluble phosphatic fertilizers such as
rock phosphate are used.

Broadcasting of fertilizers is of two types.

i) Broadcasting at sowing or planting (Basal application)

The main objectives of broadcasting the fertilizers at sowing time are to uniformly distribute
the fertilizer over the entire field and to mix it with soil.

ii) Top dressing

It is the broadcasting of fertilizers particularly nitrogenous fertilizers in closely sown crops

like paddy and wheat, with the objective of supplying nitrogen in readily available form to
growing plants.

Disadvantages of broadcasting

The main disadvantages of application of fertilizers through broadcasting are:

i) Nutrients cannot be fully utilized by plant roots as they move laterally over long distances.
ii) The weed growth is stimulated all over the field.
iii) Nutrients are fixed in the soil as they come in contact with a large mass of soil.

B) Placement

1. It refers to the placement of fertilizers in soil at a specific place with or without

reference to the position of the seed.

2. Placement of fertilizers is normally recommended when the quantity of fertilizers to

apply is small, development of the root system is poor, soil have a low level of
fertility and to apply phosphatic and potassic fertilizer.

The most common methods of placement are as follows:

i) Plough sole placement

1. In this method, fertilizer is placed at the bottom of the plough furrow in a continuous
band during the process of ploughing.

2. Every band is covered as the next furrow is turned.

3. This method is suitable for areas where soil becomes quite dry upto few cm below the
soil surface and soils having a heavy clay pan just below the plough sole layer.

ii) Deep placement

It is the placement of ammoniacal nitrogenous fertilizers in the reduction zone of soil

particularly in paddy fields, where ammoniacal nitrogen remains available to the crop. This
method ensures better distribution of fertilizer in the root zone soil and prevents loss of
nutrients by run-off.

iii) Localized placement

It refers to the application of fertilizers into the soil close to the seed or plant in order to
supply the nutrients in adequate amounts to the roots of growing plants. The common
methods to place fertilizers close to the seed or plant are as follows:

a) Drilling
In this method, the fertilizer is applied at the time of sowing by means of a seed-cum-
fertilizer drill. This places fertilizer and the seed in the same row but at different depths.
Although this method has been found suitable for the application of phosphatic and potassic
fertilizers in cereal crops, but sometimes germination of seeds and young plants may get
damaged due to higher concentration of soluble salts.

b) Side dressing

It refers to the spread of fertilizer in between the rows and around the plants. The common
methods of side-dressing are

1. Placement of nitrogenous fertilizers by hand in between the rows of crops like maize,
sugarcane, cotton etc., to apply additional doses of nitrogen to the growing crops and

2. Placement of fertilizers around the trees like mango, apple, grapes, papaya etc.

C) Band placement

If refers to the placement of fertilizer in bands.

Band placement is of two types.

i) Hill placement

It is practiced for the application of fertilizers in orchards. In this method, fertilizers are
placed close to the plant in bands on one or both sides of the plant. The length and depth of
the band varies with the nature of the crop.

ii) Row placement

When the crops like sugarcane, potato, maize, cereals etc., are sown close together in rows,
the fertilizer is applied in continuous bands on one or both sides of the row, which is known
as row placement.

d) Pellet application

1. It refers to the placement of nitrogenous fertilizer in the form of pellets 2.5 to 5 cm

deep between the rows of the paddy crop.
 2. The fertilizer is mixed with the soil in the ratio of 1:10 and made small pellets of
convenient size to deposit in the mud of paddy fields.

Advantages of placement of fertilizers

The main advantages are as follows:

i) When the fertilizer is placed, there is minimum contact between the soil and the
fertilizer, and thus fixation of nutrients is greatly reduced.
ii) The weeds all over the field can not make use of the fertilizers.
iii) Residual response of fertilizers is usually higher.
iv) Utilization of fertilizers by the plants is higher.
v) Loss of nitrogen by leaching is reduced.
vi) Being immobile, phosphates are better utilized when placed.

Following are the common methods of applying liquid fertilizers

a) Starter solutions

It refers to the application of solution of N, P2O5 and K2O in the ratio of 1:2:1 and 1:1:2 to
young plants at the time of transplanting, particularly for vegetables.
Starter solution helps in rapid establishment and quick growth of seedlings.
The disadvantages of starter solutions are
(i) Extra labour is required, and
(ii) the fixation of phosphate is higher.

b) Foliar application
 1. It refers to the spraying of fertilizer solutions containing one or more nutrients on the
foliage of growing plants.

2. Several nutrient elements are readily absorbed by leaves when they are dissolved in
water and sprayed on them.

3. The concentration of the spray solution has to be controlled, otherwise serious

damage may result due to scorching of the leaves.

4. Foliar application is effective for the application of micro nutrients like iron, copper,
boron, zinc and manganese. Sometimes insecticides are also applied along with
fertilizers.

Foliar application is preferred over all other methods under the following conditions

1. Under acute deficiency of elements like P and K during active growth period of plants
2. Sometimes application of insecticides and herbicides coincide with that of topdressing
then mixing of fertilizer solutions become more useful
3. Sometimes due to abundant plant growth all other methods become inoperative means
they can not be adopted effectively

Disadvantage

1. Sometimes fertilizer solutions cause scorching or burning

2. It becomes more expensive if not combined with any other sprays like spraying of
pesticides, hormones etc

c) Application through irrigation water (Fertigation)

1. It refers to the application of water-soluble fertilizers through irrigation water. Liquid

fertilizers are also introduced into irrigation water by means of gravity flow or under
pressure

2. The nutrients are thus carried into the soil in solution

3. Uniform distribution is ensured by means of regulating flow through metering devices

4. Precipitation of insoluble carbonates can be stopped by adding a small amount of

polyphosphate in water as water conditioner
 5. Fertilizer can be applied more effectively through drip irrigation

6. Generally nitrogenous fertilizers are applied through irrigation water

d) Injection into soil

1. Liquid fertilizers for injection into the soil may be of either pressure or non-pressure
types.

2. Non-pressure solutions may be applied either on the surface or in furrows without

appreciable loss of plant nutrients under most conditions.

e) Aerial application

In areas where ground application is not practicable, the fertilizer solutions are applied by
aircraft particularly in hilly areas, in forest lands, in grass lands or in sugarcane fields etc.

Enhancing Fertilizer use Efficiency

Fertilizer use efficiency indicates yield of crops (biomass or economic yield) in kg of nutrient
applied. The steps discussed below will contribute to enhancing over all efficiency of applied
fertilizers through maximising productivity per unit of nutrient used

1. Only suitable crops and their recommended varieties should be grown in a respective
area.
2. Input responsive varieties should only be selected for cultivation because they are
capable of giving higher yields than indigenous or local varieties.
3. The crops must be sown or planted timely as delayed planting does not permit the
varieties to express their full yield potentials and they give poor yields.
4. An ideal plant population should be maintained and rate of fertilizer application
should correspond the plant population i.e., higher the plant population should have
higher rate of fertilizer application and vice-versa. The spacing should correspond the
planting time.
5. Greater fertilizer use efficiency can be obtained by using organic manure or organic
matter because it produces humus which acts as store house of nutrients and water in
the soil. This also supplies micro-nutrients to the plants. Thus preservation of organic
 wastes and recycling them in agriculture increases soil fertility level and hence
fertilizer use efficiency is increased.
6. While composting organic wastes/materials with wide C/N ratio, addition of
nitrogenous fertilizer like urea should be done as starter solution so that
decomposition becomes quicker and compost supplies higher nitrogen, when applied
into the soil
7. Legumes must be included in diverse rotational and intercropping systems because
they fix atmospheric nitrogen, add more organic matter to the soil through leaf
shedding and exhaustive root systems. These legumes also utilize non-available soil
phosphate. Thus builds soil fertility, increases crop yields, improves physical
conditions of the soil and boosts fertilizer use efficiency.
8. There should be an ideal water management device means there should not be
standing water in the fields at the time of fertilizer application or thereafter. The crops
should be irrigated lightly only at critical growth stages so that nutrients are well
utilized and water is also not wasted. This increases crop yields and hence increases
fertilizers use efficiency, however it must be kept in minds that the irrigation
scheduling must meat out the total water requirement of the crops
9. Fertilizer scheduling must be based on soil test values to eliminate nutrient deficiency
or its luxury consumption.
10. Fertilizer recommendation must be based on proposed cropping plan and availability
of inputs, specially irrigation resources.
11. Phosphorus, potash and part of nitrogen should be basal placed and rest of nitrogen
should be applied in 2-3 splits depending upon soil and soil-moisture regime. In
coarse textured soils under high rainfall areas, application of potash in split doses
proves better and more efficient.
12. Biofertilizers must be used to encourage growth of beneficial microbes in the soil.
This helps in increasing fertilizer use efficiency.
13. Phosphate either alone or in combination with K should be placed about 5 cm below
the seed layer and 6-7 cm away from seed row to encourage profuse rooting and to
avoid seed-fertilizer contact in the soil. Under dry regions the fertilizers must be
placed in moist zone only.
14. Urea must be mixed with clay soils in 1: 10 ratio followed by slight moistening. The
mixture should be kept as such overnight and then pellets should be prepared for top-
dressing in deep water rice. This reduces loss of nitrogen due to washing leaching.
15. Under adverse conditions and during attack of insect-pest or diseases or infestation of
weeds urea solution mixed with pesticides should be sprayed over foliage as it
improves plant vigour and enhances fertilizer use efficiency.
16. It would always be better to apply micro-nutrient carriers in soil to correct the
deficiency because the plants once subjected to physiological disorder due to
deficiency which takes time to be corrected and plants become weak resulting into
poor yield. However, the zinc sulphate should never be mixed with phosphatic
fertilizers and gypsum, to be applied for sulphur fertilization as they are nor
compatible but it may should be mixed with urea
17. The acidic or alkaline soils must be treated with suitable amendment for an improved
soil fertility and increased crop yields which will ultimately give better fertilizer
efficiency.
18. Quality seeds must be taken for sowing.
19. Latest agro-techniques should be followed for higher production at least input level.