Nutrients availability in soil and yield improvement through balanced crop nutrition in tribal settlements of Karnataka

To study the availability of soil nutrients and crop response through balanced crop nutrition in tribal settlement of Karnataka the present experiment was undertaken under the Tribal Sub Plan programme. About 120 tribal families were selected in various tribal clusters of Malai Mahadeshwara Hills and Biligiri Rangana Hills (Western Ghats) of Chamarajanar district of Karnataka. The soil samples were collected from the fields of tribal families and were analyzed for available nutrients status. About 90 percent of soils are acidic and nine percent are neutral, organic carbon content in soil was high (78%) in majority of soils. Most of the soils (97%) are deficient in available nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium status were medium (63 & 64% respectively), about 27 and 17 per cent of soils were low in P and K status. Sulphur deficiency was not observed in these soils. Micronutrients availability in these soils were sufficient, except in two samples which exhibited below the critical limit of DTPA zinc. About 120 trials were conducted in famers field on yield improvement through balanced crop nutrition with finger millet ad maize crops. The experimental results revealed that about 24.90% and 22.73% increase in yield of finger millet and maize respectively was recorded due to balance application of fertilizers over farmers practice (50 kg DAP/ acre/ 1-2 t FYM/acre).