TNAU validates impact of balanced fertilization on crop productivity through its 125-year-old experimental plot
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is using data from century-old experimental plots to promote sustainable nutrient management for farmers. The research highlights how balanced fertilization and integrated nutrient management can improve soil health while reducing fertilizer costs.
Why it matters
Long-term soil research is critical for global food security and developing sustainable farming practices that mitigate environmental degradation.
With a view to generating scientific evidence for developing and promoting sustainable nutrient-management practices for farmers, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) on Wednesday analysed the observations made from the PME (Permanent Manurial Experiment) field established in 1909, and LTFE (Long-Time Experiment Field) experimental plot developed during 1972 on the premises.
The experimental fields have been providing insights into long-term impacts of nutrient-management practices on crop productivity, soil fertility, carbon sequestration, soil biological properties and soil quality.
Describing PME as one of the world’s longest-running continuous field experiments, S. Karthikeyan, Director, Directorate of Natural Resource Management, TNAU, said the experiments carried out by the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, provide a unique long-term research platform for assessing the effects of nutrient-management practices on crop productivity, soil fertility, soil organic carbon dynamics, microbial properties and overall soil quality under continuous cropping.
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