WHEAT YIELD AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY AS INFLUENCED BY PRE-INCUBATED USE OF SINGLE SUPERPHOSPHATE AND POULTRY LITTER AND ITS TIME OF APPLICATION

In an effort to improve phosphorus (P) fertilizer efficiency on alkaline calcareous soils, the effect of period of pre-incubation of single superphosphate along with poultry litter and its time of application on phosphorous efficiency and yield of wheat was studied in a net house pot experiment. The results showed that application of 3–21 days pre-incubated single super phosphate + poultry litter resulted in higher phosphorous fertilizer efficiency and produced significantly higher dry matter yield of wheat at vegetative stage of growth. At maturity, however, maximum grain yield and highest phosphorous fertilizer efficiency was recorded for seven-days pre-incubation treatment only as compared to the recommended method of single super phosphate alone application at sowing. Application of pre-incubated single super phosphate + poultry litter at first irrigation also produced grain yield equivalent to single super phosphate applied alone at sowing. Under field conditions, top-dressing pre-incubated 22 and 44 kg phosphorous (as single super phosphate) along with 1 ton of poultry litter ha^?1 at first irrigation improved phosphorous uptake by 16.4 and 18.7%, phosphorous fertilizer efficiency by 65 and 58% and the grain yield of wheat by 13.4 and 12.5%, respectively as compared to phosphorous alone application at the same time.