Changes in available nitrogen, grain yield and nutrient uptake under varied levels of nitrogen applied to different nitrogen fertility gradient strips in finger millet crop

Field experiment was carried out at Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK) to study the effect of graded levels of nitrogen to soils with different nitrogen fertility gradients on growth and yield of Finger millet (GPU 28) and its soil properties during Kharif 2010 and 2011. Treatment comprised of T, (Absolute control), T₂ [RDF(Recommended Dose of Fertilizer) + FYM (Farm Yard Manure)], T₃ (RDF alone), T₄[125% RDN (Recommended Dose of Nitrogen) + RDPK (Recommended Dose of PK) + FYM)], T₅ (125% RDN + RDPK), T₆ (150% RDN + RDPK + FYM), T₇ (150% RDN + RDPK) and artificially created five nitrogen fertility gradient strips from very low N fertility gradient strip to very high N fertility gradient strip (N_o to N₄). Soil application of T₄ recorded maximum yield (29.56 qha"¹) as compared to other treatments. With respect to gradient strips maximum grain yield of (31.47 q ha"¹) was recorded in very high nitrogen fertility strip (N₄) followed by soil treatment with T₆ (150% RDN + RDPK + FYM). Increased doses of N application in this soil condition did not benefit the crop and yield remained lower. The maximum NPK uptake was observed on T₄ (125% RDN + RDPK + FYM) application irrespective of fertility gradient strips and was followed by application of treatment T₆ (150% RDN + RDPK + FYM)