EFFECT OF INTEGRATED USE OF FARM YARD MANURE AND UREA ON YIELD AND NITROGEN UPTAKE OF WHEAT

The effect of integrated use of urea and Farm Yard Manure (FYM) on yield and N uptake of wheat was assessed in a field experiment carried out on a silty clay loam soil in Peshawar valley of North West Frontier Province, Pakistan during 2001-02. Urea and FYM were combined in a way to supply N at 120 kg ha-1 from both sources in 0:0, 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 ratios arranged in a RCB design with four replications. Wheat (variety: Ghaznavi) was planted in rows. Data on biological, grain and straw yields of wheat were recorded. Samples of grain and straw were also analyzed for total N to determine its uptake by the crop. The results indicated that maximum biological (10952 kg ha-1), straw (7710 kg ha-1), and grain (3242 kg ha-1) yields of wheat were obtained in treatment receiving N from urea and FYM in 75:25 ratio. The next higher yield was obtained in treatment receiving N from the two sources in 50:50 ratio. Comparing with other fertilizer treatments, the yields were significantly lower in treatments where N from urea source was below 50 %. Similarly, the N uptake in grain (47.66 kg ha-1) and straw (19.28 kg ha-1) was also significantly (P<0.05) greater in treatments receiving 75 or 50 % N from urea and 25 or 50 % from FYM. The data on crop yields and N uptake in response to integrated use of urea and FYM supported each other. The residual soil organic fertility after crop harvest was proportional to the level of FYM used. Our data thus suggest that integrated use of urea and FYM at 75:25 or 50:50 ratios (N basis) has produced maximum yields and is therefore recommended for profitable wheat yield and sustainable soil fertility