Summary

Integrated soil fertility management is an approach to combine use of agro management (CAM) practices, which minimizes soil degradation, enhance soil fertility and crop growth in an environmental friendly sustainable manner. The application of CAM practices with modified fertilizer levels will help to enhance depleted soil fertility under continuous cultivation of monocultural cropping system and mitigate environmental issues by reducing fertilizer usage. Therefore, the research outputs will be directly beneficial for those who engaged mono cultural cropping system under rubber or any other plantation crops as well. Enhancing soil fertility in a sustainable manner, there is a possibility to maximize plant growth (better girthing) and early opening for tapping of immature Hevea and it may helpful to reduce immature unproductive, uneconomical period and enhance the profit margins by the growers providing them economic sustenance for their livelihood. Moreover establishment of the best CAM practices as demonstrations plots may also help to disseminate knowledge for a large group of growers. Low usage of fertilizers reduces their consequent negative repercussions in the environment. This will support to alleviate deterioration of nature and environmental pollution in a sustainable manner. The proposed research would create environmental friendly, economically viable tool for enhancing fertility in degraded lands and create an opportunity to exercise other crops as well. The research outputs can be used for further research in the fields of soil science, government and private sector institutes related to plantation industry, land development, environmental conservation and forest development.

Objectives

Main Objective: To enhance soil fertility and improve plant growth of immature Hevea by combine use of agro management (CAM) practices. Specific Objectives:

1. To identify current status of important soil fertility parameters in experimental sites as a preliminary study.
2. To determine the effectiveness of CAM practices on soil fertility parameters, plant growth and nutrient levels of immature Hevea.
3. To identify the site specific best CAM practices as new recommendations for immature Hevea and expand them as demonstration plots

Major Equipment Facilitated by Grant

N/A