Abstract
ABSTRACT Sustaining long‐term crop productivity and soil quality are essential for the stability of agricultural ecosystems. However, prolonged use of unbalanced chemical fertilizers under intensive cropping systems consistently degrades soil quality and threatens sustained productivity. Hence, a comprehensive evaluation of long‐term fertilizer experiments and their effect on soil quality is essential to determine the best practices that support soil functionality and sustains crop yields. The present study evaluates the effects of 45 years of fertilization on soil quality in wheat under maize–wheat cropping system experiment in an acid Alfisol . Physical, chemical and biological soil quality indicators were analysed at two soil layers viz. (0–15 and 15–30 cm) under 11 treatments comprising different fertilizer and amendment regimes, that is, 50% NPK, 100% NPK, 150% NPK, 100% NPK + hand weeding, 100% NPK + Zn, 100% NP, 100% N, 100% NPK + farmyard manure (FYM), 100% NPK (‐S), 100% NPK + lime and control, arranged in a randomized complete block design. Results from the present study indicated that, balanced dose of NPK application in combination with FYM or lime significantly enhanced wheat grain yield by ~53.9% and ~41.2%, respectively, over sole 100% NPK fertilizers. FYM and lime amended treatments notably reduced soil bulk density, enhanced nutrient availability, and microbial indicators relative to control, 100% NPK and imbalanced fertilizer treatments. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was computed to identify key soil quality indicators in both soil layers. In the surface soil layer, the highest value of soil quality index (SQI) was observed under 100% NPK + FYM (0.99), followed by 100% NPK + lime (0.97), whereas omission of N, P, K or S led to substantial reduction in SQI. Contrarily, the value of SQI decreased in the sub‐surface layer. Among the selected soil quality indicators, highest contribution towards SQI at surface soil layer was of soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN; 85%), followed by pH (10%) and water holding capacity (4%), whereas in sub‐surface soil, bulk density (70%), pH (26%) and available sulphur (4%) were primary contributors. Additionally, except bulk and particle density all other soil quality indicators correlated positively with wheat grain yield. Hence, these findings emphasize the critical role of continuous soil quality monitoring and the integrated use of balanced fertilizers, organic amendments, and lime to maintain soil health and optimize crop yields in acid Alfisols .
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
NPK with farmyard manure increased wheat grain yield by about 53.9% over sole NPK.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- NPK application in combination with FYMe0
- Outcome
- wheat grain yielde0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- ~53.9%e0
- Comparator
- sole 100% NPK fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“balanced dose of NPK application in combination with FYM or lime significantly enhanced wheat grain yield by ~53.9% and ~41.2%, respectively, over sole 100% NPK fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
NPK with lime increased wheat grain yield by about 41.2% over sole NPK.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- limee0
- Outcome
- wheat grain yielde0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- ~41.2%e0
- Comparator
- sole 100% NPK fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“balanced dose of NPK application in combination with FYM or lime significantly enhanced wheat grain yield by ~53.9% and ~41.2%, respectively, over sole 100% NPK fertilizers”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmyard manure and lime treatments reduced soil bulk density compared with control and fertilizer treatments.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- FYM and lime amended treatmentse0
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- control, 100% NPK and imbalanced fertilizer treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“FYM and lime amended treatments notably reduced soil bulk density, enhanced nutrient availability, and microbial indicators relative to control, 100% NPK and imbalanced fertilizer treatments.”
e1“wheat under maize–wheat cropping system experiment”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmyard manure and lime treatments enhanced nutrient availability and microbial indicators.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume1
- Treatment
- FYM and lime amended treatmentse0
- Outcome
- nutrient availability, and microbial indicatorse0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- control, 100% NPK and imbalanced fertilizer treatmentse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“FYM and lime amended treatments notably reduced soil bulk density, enhanced nutrient availability, and microbial indicators relative to control, 100% NPK and imbalanced fertilizer treatments.”
e1“wheat under maize–wheat cropping system experiment”
Claim · model-written summary
Surface soil quality index was highest under NPK with farmyard manure, at 0.99.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“In the surface soil layer, the highest value of soil quality index (SQI) was observed under 100% NPK + FYM (0.99)”
Claim · model-written summary
Surface soil quality index under NPK with lime was 0.97.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“followed by 100% NPK + lime (0.97)”
Claim · model-written summary
Omission of N, P, K or S substantially reduced soil quality index.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“omission of N, P, K or S led to substantial reduction in SQI”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil quality index decreased in the subsurface layer.
Not reportedTaxonOrgan / stage
Verbatim
e0“the value of SQI decreased in the sub‐surface layer”
Claim · model-written summary
All soil quality indicators except bulk and particle density correlated positively with wheat grain yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Outcome
- wheat grain yielde0
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Qualifier
- except bulk and particle densitye0
- Comparator
- soil quality indicatorse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“except bulk and particle density all other soil quality indicators correlated positively with wheat grain yield”
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See all 3,438 papers →8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.