Effect of initial soil fertility and integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) on yield and NPK uptake by brinjal on an Alfisol

Following Inductive methodology (fertility gradient concept), a field experiment was conducted to study the effect of initial soil fertility and Integrated Plant Nutrition System (IPNS) on the yield of brinjal (var. CO₂) on Typic Rhodustalf of Tamil Nadu. In the first phase of the experiment, variations in soil fertility with reference to soil available N, P and K was established among the three fertility strips with the addition of fertilizers at graded levels and by growing fodder sorghum as gradient crop. In the second phase viz., the test crop experiment with brinjal, consisted of four levels each of fertilizer N, P₂O₅ and KO and three levels of farm yard manure (FYM). The highest yield of 35.8 t ha⁻¹ was recorded with 150: 75: 75 kg ha⁻¹ of fertilizer N, P₂O₅ and K₂O along with 12.5t ha⁻¹ of FYM in strip III with initial soil available NPK status of 203, 34 and 500 kg ha⁻¹ respectively. The fruit yield as well as NPK uptake by brinjal had increased with increase in initial soil fertility and with increase in the levels of fertilizer N, P₂O₅ and K₂O and FYM.