4.6 Article

Potassium nutrient response in the rice-wheat cropping system in different agro-ecozones of Nepal

Journal

PLOS ONE
Volume 16, Issue 3, Pages -

Publisher

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248837

Keywords

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Funding

  1. Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Singhadurbar Plaza, Kathmandu, Nepal

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The soils of Nepal have naturally high potassium levels, but recent studies have shown deficiencies in potassium levels in rice and wheat crops, especially in the inner-Terai and Terai regions. Increasing potassium fertilizer application rates beyond recommended levels significantly improved grain yields, suggesting a need for increased potassium application rates in the rice-wheat cropping system in Nepal.
Most of the soils of Nepal had a higher potassium (K, expressed as K2O) level inherently. Later in 1976, the Government of Nepal has recommended K fertilizer rate at 30 kg K2O ha(-1) in rice-wheat cropping systems. However, those crops began showing K deficiency symptoms in recent decades, which could be due to a large portion of soils with depleted K level or the insufficient input of K fertilizer for crop production. This study explored a limitation of K nutrient in the crops by establishing field trials from 2009-2014 at three agro-ecozones i.e., inner-Terai (2009-2010), high-Hills (2011-2012), and Terai (2012-2014) in Nepal. Seven rates of K fertilizer at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 kg K2O ha(-1) were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design, where crop yields and yield-attributing parameters of rice-wheat cropping system were recorded. Results revealed that an increase in K rates from 45 to 75 kg K2O ha(-1) under inner-Terai and Terai conditions and 45 to 60 kg ha(-1) under high-Hills conditions produced significantly higher grain yields compared to the recommended K dose. Economically, the optimum rate of K fertilizer should not exceed 68 kg K2O ha(-1) for rice in all agro-ecozones, or 73 kg K2O ha(-1) for wheat in inner-Terai and 60 kg K2O ha(-1) for wheat in high-Hills and Terai. Our findings suggest to increase potassium application in between 1.5 to 2.5 times of the current K fertilizer rate in rice-wheat cropping system of Nepal that need to be tested further in different locations and crop varieties.

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