Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Campus, Jobner, 303329.
*Corresponding author
Present address: 1406, Vivekanand Colony, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of sub-surface (0.15–0.30 depth) compaction on utilization efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen by wheat grown on highly permeable loamy sand soil under varying irrigation regimes and nitrogen fertilization. The experiment consisted of four replication of 24 treatment combinations of two levels of compaction (no compaction and compaction by 8 passings of 500 kg iron roller), three irrigation frequencies (4, 6 and 8 irrigations at different growth stages of crop) and four nitrogen levels (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha−1). Compaction by 8 passings increased the soil bulk density, soil water content and root weight density of wheat and deqreased saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil during both the years It was observed that grain and straw yield and total N uptake increased due to sub-surface compaction (8 passings) and higher levels of irrigation and nitrogen, whereas, recovery and efficiency of nitrogen were found higher at compaction by 8 passings, higher irrigation frequency and at lower application of fertilizer N. Thus, sub-surface compaction improved yield and nitrogen utilization by wheat under highly permeable ~oils of semi-arid plain of Rajasthan.
Sub-surface compaction, irrigation scheduling, fertilizer-N, wheat, N use efficiency, N recovery, highly permeable soil
