Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Amaranth (Amaranthus Oleraceus) and Soil Properties

Amaranth (Amaranthus oleraceus) is grown in wide range of environmental condition across the world. Low-nutrient availability is common phenomena for crop production; hence, proper nutrient management is essentially important for sustainable productivity maintaining soil health. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of different nutrient management options on growth and yield of amaranth and soil properties in Bangladesh. We conducted an experiment at the research farm of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The experiment involved six treatments, namely T₁ (control), T₂ (standard dose: N-P-K-S = 95-25-51-6 kg ha^-1respectively), T₃ (T₂+ 5 t ha^-1 cow dung), T₄ (75% of T₂+ the rest 25% N, P, K, S from cow dung, 3.76 t ha^-1), T₅ (50% of T₂+ the rest 50% of N, P, K, S from cow dung, 7.5 t ha^-1) and T₆ (100% nutrients from cow dung, 15 t ha^-1) in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. Among the treatments, T₃ performed the best regarding yields of amaranth followed by T₅ treatment. Bulk density and organic carbon content of soil were improved due to the application of organic manure either as sole or in combination. The highest nutrients uptake and availability were found in the treatments where combined application of organic and chemical fertilizer was maintained. Among the treatments, T₅ was found sustainable for achieving crop production as well as for maintaining soil health. The results revealed that organically fulfillment of the reduced dose of chemical fertilizer performed better compared with others.