Balance use of nutrients and their build UP in a typic hapludalf under maize – wheat cropping sequence

Field experiments were conducted in acid soils of palam valley of Himachal Pradesh, with maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend, Fiori & paol) to study the balance fertilization based on taget yield concept. Results of the studies (2002–2004) revealed that fertilizer adjustment equations developed separately for individual crops of maize and wheat also help good for maize – wheat cropping sequence. Prefixed yield targets in both maize and wheat, with and without farmyard manure, were close to actually obtained yields, percent deviations being within ± 10. Benefit: cost ratios in above cases were above 2.0. Yield target concept based fertilization excelled other approach viz. state level dose, soil test based dose approaches in yield/fertility. At the end of two cropping sequences, the highest build up of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was recorded under yield target concept. This suggested that fertilizer use as per prescription approach dose not merely ensure their judicious use but also improve soil fertility, which, in turn, reduces nutrient dose for a given target with time.