Residual, direct and interaction effect of nutrient management on growth, yield, quality, and economics of fodder maize and soil nutrient balance under grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.)- fodder maize [Zea mays (L.)] sequence in Inceptisols of Western India

Aiming to investigate the residual, direct and interaction effect of nutrient management on growth, yield, quality, nutrient uptake, monetary efficiency of fodder maize and soil nutrient balance under grain amaranth-fodder maize sequence, a 2 year field experiment was carried out in "Deep Black Soil." Seven treatments were applied to grain amaranth and subsequently each plot was equally divided into two parts for summer fodder maize. There was a beneficial residual effect of nutrient sources on fodder maize and significantly maximum growth, yield, quality attributes, nutrient uptake, amaranth equivalent yield and benfit-cost ratio (BCR) were noted under treatment farm yard manure (FYM) 2.5 t/ha + 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (T-7) being at par with vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (T6) and bio compost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (T-4). The treatments with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (F-2) showed noticeably higher values of all parameters when recommended dose of fertilizer levels were directly applied to summer fodder maize. The results of treatment combination T7F2 (application of farm yard manure 2.5 t/ha + 100% recommended dose of fertilizer coupled with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer treatment) showed significantly higher values of various growth and yield characters of the succeeding summer fodder maize crop which remained at par with treatment combinations T6F2 (Application of vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer coupled with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer treatment) and T4F2 (application of bio compost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer coupled with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer treatment) when pooled. Soil nutrient balance was positively improved due to the cumulative effect of bio compost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer coupled with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer treatment (T4F2) in sequence. Therefore, to achieve increased productivity, cost effectiveness and soil health, bio compost 2.5 t/ha + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer should be applied to the rabi grain amaranth crop and 100% recommended dose of fertilizer should be applied to the summer fodder maize crop.