Applied and Environmental Soil Science

Research Article

Soil Nutrient Balance and Soil Fertility Status under the Influence of Fertilization in Maize-Wheat Cropping System in Nepal

Table 6

Effects of different NPK rates on pH, organic carbon (g/kg), total nitrogen (mg/kg), available phosphorus (P₂O₅, mg/kg), and available potassium (K₂O, mg/kg) over different seasons at Khumaltar, Lalitpur.


Trt	pH				SOC				N				P				K
Trt	M1	W1	M2	W2	M1	W1	M2	W2	M1	W1	M2	W2	M1	W1	M2	W2	M1	W1	M2	W2

Nitrogen levels (N)
N1	5.80	5.65	5.85	5.60	11.2	15.4	14.8	16.6	1152	1171	1268	1161	169	161	136	65.1	28.1	30.4	41.9	29.0
N2	5.81	5.63	5.84	5.55	11.2	16.0	15.1	16.8	1152	1176	1264	1172	166	157	133	63.5	27.1	30.2	34.4	23.7
N3	5.79	5.63	5.81	5.45	11.1	16.3	15.1	16.9	1131	1209	1250	1198	164	155	132	62.1	27.1	27.5	33.1	21.8
LSD	NS	NS	NS	0.11	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	32.2	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	5.7	5.3

Phosphorus levels (P)
P1	5.85	5.66	5.88	5.55	10.9	15.7	14.8	16.7	1161	1187	1267	1183	164	155	127	57.6	27.9	28.1	36.0	26.8
P2	5.81	5.65	5.84	5.52	11.2	16.0	15.0	16.7	1141	1186	1261	1174	167	155	134	66.4	27.6	28.8	35.3	24.7
P3	5.80	5.61	5.78	5.51	11.3	16.1	15.2	16.9	1134	1183	1255	1175	169	164	140	66.7	26.9	31.3	38.1	23.0
LSD	NS	NS	0.08	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	7.0	9.1	6.9	NS	NS	NS	NS

Potassium levels (K)
K1	5.87	5.65	5.86	5.54	11.0	15.5	14.9	16.7	1161	1192	1270	1195	166	156	132	65.0	27.9	26.0	36.7	26.5
K2	5.80	5.64	5.83	5.53	11.2	16.0	15.0	16.8	1130	1190	1264	1179	167	160	132	62.2	27.1	29.1	35.8	27.0
K3	5.79	5.62	5.81	5.51	11.4	16.2	15.1	16.9	1144	1174	1249	1157	166	158	137	63.6	27.4	33.1	36.8	21.0
LSD	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	4.45	NS	5.3

F test Prob (P > F)
NP	NS	NS			NS	NS	NS	NS		NS		NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS		NS
NK	NS			NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS			NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
PK	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS		NS			NS	NS	NS		NS	NS	NS	NS
NPK	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS		NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
CV (%)	4.1	2.9	2.4	3.7	21.4	11.1	9.6	10.0	4.5	5.0	3.0	5.3	17.0	8.2	12.5	20.1	23.7	21.7	22.6	21.4
GM	5.82	5.64	5.83	5.53	11.2	15.9	15.1	16.8	1145	1185	1261	1177	166	158	134	63.6	27.5	29.4	36.4	24.8

Trt = Treatments, M1 = maize crop in 1^st year, W1 = wheat crop in 1^st year, M2 = maize crop in 2^nd year, M1 = wheat crop in 2^nd year, NS = nonsignificant (); = significant at 0.1%; = significant at 1%; and = significant at 5%, GM = Grand Mean.