Economic Affairs
  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 70
  • Issue: 4

Micronutrient-Enriched NPK Fertilization Enhances Yield and Profitability of Green Gram Under Middle Gangetic Plain

  • Author:
  • Kakoli Pradhan1, Shantanu Kar2, Sabyasachi Koley1, Rajesh Kumar Singh3, Vinod Kumar Tripathi4, Amitava Rakshit1,*
  • Total Page Count: 8
  • Page Number: 321 to 328

1Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Science, BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

2Coromandel International Limited, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

3Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

4Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

*Corresponding author: amitavar@bhu.ac.in

Abstract

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) plays a vital role in enhancing food security and soil fertility within cereal-based cropping systems of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Despite its agronomic potential, yield stagnation persists due to suboptimal nutrient management. A field experiment conducted during Kharif 2023–24 at the Agricultural Research Farm, BHU, evaluated six nutrient management treatments under a randomized block design to assess their impact on mung bean productivity and profitability. The integration of 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF) through specialized NPK pulse fertilizer (14:35:14) supplemented with MOP and urea (T3) recorded the highest seed yield (2.24 t ha-1), biological yield (5.58 t ha-1), and harvest index (38.4%). Economic analysis revealed T3 as the most viable option, achieving the highest net return (₹ 1,59,071.54 ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (3.27). The superior performance is attributed to balanced macro- and micronutrient availability, enhanced nodulation, and improved physiological efficiency. These findings underscore the importance of micronutrient-enriched fertilizer strategies for sustainable mung bean intensification in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

⓿ Balanced NPK pulse fertilizer enriched with Zn, B, and Mo significantly enhanced mung bean yield and physiology, with treatments T3 (100% RDF) and T5 (125% RDF) recording the highest seed yield (2.24 t ha-1), biological yield (~5.6 t ha-1), and superior harvest indices.

⓿ Economic analysis revealed T3 as the most cost-effective treatment, achieving the highest net return (1,59,071.54 ha-1), benefit-cost ratio (3.27), and ROI (2.27), thereby outperforming conventional fertilization practices despite comparable productivity with T5.

⓿ Micronutrient-enriched fertilization strategies improved nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and resource-use efficiency, underscoring their role in sustainable intensification of pulse-based systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains while bridging yield gaps and strengthening food security.

Keywords

Mung bean, NPK Pulse Fertilizer, RDF Levels, Micronutrient Enrichment (Zn, B, Mo), Benefit-Cost Ratio, Return on Investment, Integrated Nutrient Management, Soil Fertility and Nutrient Uptake