Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Effective nutrient management is essential for sustaining soil fertility and productivity in apple orchards of the Kashmir Valley. Under the project "Demonstration, Validation and Popularization of Nano-fertilizer for Sustainable Agriculture Development in Kashmir Valley," field demonstrations comparing different fertiliser regimes integrated with Nano Urea and Nano DAP (foliar spray @ 2 ml L⁻¹, two sprays) were conducted in Budgam, Pulwama and Anantnag districts during 2024–25. Soil and leaf samples were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), available N, P and K, and leaf N, P and K. Treatments integrating nano-fertilisers, particularly T18 (Urea 122 g + DAP 136 g + MOP 250 g + Nano Urea + Nano DAP @ 2 ml at 25-day intervals), were superior to the 100% recommended fertiliser dose (T1) across all districts. In Budgam, pH declined from 7.09 to 6.39, EC rose from 0.13 to 0.20 dS m⁻¹, OC increased from 0.69% to 0.89%, and available N, P and K increased from 360 to 465, 19.0 to 27.2, and 225 to 335 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Similar trends were observed in Pulwama and Anantnag, with available N increasing from 365 to 501 and from 378 to 530 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. Leaf nutrient status also improved markedly, with leaf N increasing from 1.86% to 2.37% in Budgam and from 1.95% to 2.46% in Anantnag. Treatment effects were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05), with low coefficients of variation, indicating that integrating nano-fertilisers with reduced conventional fertiliser doses enhances nutrient availability, uptake and soil organic carbon while maintaining favourable pH and EC.