Long-Term Effect of Organic Manuring and Inorganic Fertilizers for Enhancing Yield and Soil Properties under Soybean (Glycine max L.)-Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Cropping Sequence in Vertisol

Long term fertilizer experiment was started from 2006-07 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani, to study the effect of manures and fertilizers on yield and soil properties under soybean-safflower cropping sequence during 2006-07 to 2010-11 on Vertisol (Typic Haplusterts). The results of pooled mean indicated that the 100 per cent NPK+FYM @10 Mg ha^-1 was recorded highest grain yield of soybean (26.44 q ha^-1) and safflower (18.71 q ha^-1), whereas, it was statistically at par with 150 per cent NPK and 100 per cent NPK+25 kg ZnSO₄ ha^-1 in both the crops. Maximum soybean straw yield (35.02 q ha^-1) was recorded by the treatment receiving 100 per cent NPK+FYM @ 10 Mg ha^-1, whereas highest straw yield of safflower (49.17 q ha^-1) was recorded by the treatment 150 per cent NPK, but it was at par with the treatment receiving 100 per cent NPK+FYM@ 10 Mg ha^-1 (47.85 q ha^-1). The highest soybean grain equivalent was recorded by the treatment 100 per cent NPK+FYM@ 10 Mg ha-1, whereas, maximum benefit cost ratio (1.90) was found in the treatment receiving 150 per cent NPK followed by 100 per cent NPK+Zn (1.84) and 100 per cent NPK+FYM@ 10 Mg ha^-1 (1.83). The improvement of soil properties with respect to pH, EC, OC, available NPKS and Zn was also prominent with the application of 100 per cent NPK+FYM@10 Mg ha^-1 as compare to all the treatments.