ORGANIC AMENDMENTS AND NANO-MICRONUTRIENTS RESTORE SOIL PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BOOST WHEAT YIELD UNDER SALINE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Ensuring food security under climate change scenario requisites amending degraded soils and sustainably boost staple crops yield in a biologically viable way through effective plant nutrition management strategies. Two multi-year lysimeter experiments were conducted to investigate the impact of soil organic substances and foliar application of some nano-nutrients on soil properties and wheat yield under saline conditions. The experiment was executed in split plot with three replications. Treatments included organic amendments (molasses, compost tea, K-humate, molasses+ compost tea, molasses+K-humate, compost tea+ K-humate and molasses+K-humate+Compost tea and control) in main plots, while sub plots had nano-micronutrients (nano-selenium, nano-manganese and nano-silica) and a control treatment. The results showed that physio-chemical properties (bulk density, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity etc.) of the soil were significantly influenced by all organic amendments; however, co-application of molasses+K-humate+compost tea remained unmatched. The same treatment combination also remained effective in boosting nitrogen uptake and recovery along with wheat yield during both seasons. Among foliage applied nano micronutrients, silicon remained superior by recording the highest yield attributes and grain yield of wheat. Therefore, it is inferred that co-application of organic amendments and foliage applied nano-fertilization management could be developed as an effective approach to restore and conserve the soil and increase wheat productivity under saline environment of arid and semi-arid regions.