AMELIORATING EFFECTS OF PHOSPHORUS, LIME AND ANIMAL MANURE ON WHEAT YIELD AND ROOT CATION-EXCHANGE CAPACITY IN DEGRADED ALFISOLS OF NORTH-WEST HIMALAYAS

A field experiment over the two years was conducted to study the ameliorating effects of P, lime and animal manure on wheat (cv s-308) yield, root CEC and on economic doses of P. Phosphorus was applied as single superphosphate at the rate of 0, 13, 26, 39, 52, 65 and 78 kg P per ha; lime as CaCO3 at 0 and 1 t/ha, and well cured animal manure at 0 and 8 t/ha. The application of P, to the extent of 65 kg/ha, increased the root CEC of wheat up to bloom stage only whereas nutrient concentration, uptake and; grain and straw yield were found to increase up to maturity. Similarly, addition of 8t/ha of animal manure resulted in a significant increase in root CEC up to bloom, nutrient concentration and uptake, vis-a-vis grain and straw yield of wheat were found to enhance up to maturity. However, the application of lime, though, increased the root CEC and nutrition of crop during both years, it did so in cases of wheat yield only during the first year of the experiment. Root CEC, particularly, at early growth stages, was very well correlated with N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations and uptake, and wheat yield at maturity. The economic dose of P for wheat in association with 8 t/ha of animal manure under the present conditions was found to be 39.4kg p/ha. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.