Journal of Krishi Vigyan

The experiments were conducted during 2018 and 2019 in the five villages of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh to study the impact of soil test based fertilizer application on yield, economics and soil properties in the cauliflower crop. Four treatments were T1: Farmer's practice (FP) 12:32:16 (NPK) 200 kg/ha and Urea 150 kg/ha, T2: FYM @ 20 t/ha + Recommended dose of 100% NPK @ 125:75:70 kg/ha and T3: Soil test based fertilizer application and T4: 50% Recommended Dose + Water soluble fertilizer. The data recorded indicated that significant increase in the yield with the percent increase of 65.90, 36.12, 61.09, 54.50 and 40.61 per cent over the treatment T at all the five locations (I, II, III, IV and V) where soil test based fertilizers were applied. Higher additional net returns and incremental benefit cost ratio (IBCR) were also recorded in the soil test based fertilizer application in the treatment T₃ (Location I- Rs. 70,060/- and 4.41, II-Rs. 56,125/- and 3.54, III- Rs. 97,495/- and 6.14, IV- Rs. 92,065/- and 5.80 and V- Rs. 69,078/- and 4.35) over the farmer's practice. The pH and organic carbon were recorded no significant change during the years of study whereas N, P and K changed significantly due to the application of NPK fertilizers on the soil test basis.