Fertilizer strategies to boost Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) yield: A plan to combat food security challenge

Abstract

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) is an important pulse crop having high nutritive value. It not only plays an important role in human diet but also in improving the soil fertility by fixing the atmospheric nitrogen. Balanced nutrient application enhances mungbean growth and yield. Different soils require various doses of fertilizers for improve the better yielding under different ecological zones. Nevertheless, it has been reported that recommended application of nutrients can increase the yield and agronomic parameters. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the research area of Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur under the prevailing conditions of Bahawalpur to evaluate the response of mungbean under different doses of fertilizer application. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) having three replications. The experiment was comprised of ten treatments along with control; only P and K application @ 34 and 25 kg ha^-1 ; N, P and K application @ 12, 34 and 25 kg ha^-1; N, P and K application @ 23, 34 and 25 kg ha^-1 ; N, P and K application @36, 34 and 25 kg ha^-1 ;only N and K application @ 23 and 25 kg ha^-1 ; N, P and K application @ 23, 23 and 25 kg ha^-1 ; N, P and K application @ 23, 46 and 25 kg ha^-1 ; only N and P application @ 23 and 34  kg ha^-1 ; N, P and K application @ 23, 34 and 12 kg ha^{-1 ;} N, P and K application @ 23, 34 and 36 kg ha^-1 respectively. The crop was harvested at maturity after 65days of sowing.  The maximum plant height, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots were observed in the treatment where N, P and K was applied @ 23, 46 and 25 kg ha^-1. Whereas, minimum plant height, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots was recorded in the plot where no fertilizer was applied (control). The former dose of fertilizer (23:46:25 NPK kg ha^-1) significantly improved 30.44 % yield as compared to control and performed better with respect to other treatments. It has been concluded that proper dose of fertilizer improved the yield of mungbean under climatic conditions of Bahawalpur; however different soil require diverse application of fertilizers.