Different Cropping System’s Effect on Available NPK Post-harvest and their Uptake on Sandy Loam Soil of Southern Telangana Zone, India

The present study was undertaken in the ongoing long-term experiment initiated during 2017 at experimental farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Soil samples collected from a depth of 0–15 cm was analysed for soil fertility parameters namely: available N, P and K. The results indicated that the different cropping systems had positive influence on improving the nutrient status (i.e., available N, P and K) significantly over the initial soil values (N: 112.20, P: 23.40 and K: 170.30 kg ha-1, respectively). These ten cropping systems were grouped in to five categories viz., pre-dominant cropping systems of the zone, ecological cropping systems, household nutritional security giving cropping systems, fodder security giving cropping systems and cropping systems involving high value crops. So that from each category, best cropping system can be identified and can be suggested to different integrated farming systems models. The maximum (221.60 and 221.57 kg ha-1) soil available nitrogen was obtained in Pigeon pea + Greengram (1:3) – Sesame after harvest of kharif and rabi, available phosphorus builds up was profound in Fodder maize – Lucerne (48.27 kg ha-1) and available K (207.63 kg ha-1) was higher in Rice –Maize cropping system after harvest. Fodder crops recorded significantly higher NPK uptake over other cropping systems.