Nutrient dynamics study and yield optimization for soybean through integrated nutrient and weed management

Soybean production faces many constraints with several factors, such as biotic and abiotic factors, and the crop management practices where inadequate nutrient management leads to a decline in production potential of the crop. Among the biotic factors, exploitation of resources by weeds not only causes a decline in production but also decreases the crop quality. Managing the weeds during the critical period of crop weed competition plays outstanding role in maximizing soybean production. In order to study the influence of integrated nutrient and weed management on nutrient dynamics and yield optimization of soybean an experiment was conducted in Split Plot Design with three nutrient management treatments in main plot 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), 75% RDF + 25% N through farmyard manure (FYM) + Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and 50% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB and five weed management treatments in the sub-plot (Hand weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, Mechanical weeding at 20 and 40 DAS, Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a. i. ha−1 PE fb Hand weeding at 30 DAS, Propaquizafop @ 0. 075 kg a. i. ha−1 PoE fb Hand weeding at 45 DAS, and Weedy check as control). The results indicated that application of 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM + PSB recorded the highest seed yield, nutrient content in seed and uptake of N, P, K, and S in the seed and stover, microbial population, and soil nutrient status. Highest partial factor productivity was recorded under 50% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB. Under weed management, hand weeding recorded the highest growth, yield attributes and nutrient content, but was found to be at par with Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a. i. ha−1 PE fb Hand weeding at 30 DAS and Propaquizafop @ 0. 075 kg a. i. ha−1 PoE fb Hand weeding at 45 DAS. Application of 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM + PSB and pendimethalin @ 1 kg a. i. ha−1 fb hand weeding at 30 DAS proves to be an effective strategy for soybean cultivation. The experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema, India.