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Nitrogen (N) is crucial for plant growth and yield, however excessive N in cotton hampers productivity by excessive vegetative growth, delaying phenological activity, decreasing yield and increase in cost of production. Therefore, it's necessary to find real values of input like N in current fertilizer availability crises. Hence, this experiment was designed to determine the economical optimum dose of N in cotton through empirical modeling during summer season of 2019 and 2020. Experimental treatments were comprised of; 0, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 kg N ha−1. Results revealed that higher seed cotton yield (1222 and 1454 kg ha−1) was recorded when 200 Kg N ha−1 was applied that was statistically at par with 150 kg N ha−1 (1041 and 1272 in 2019 and 2020 respectively) and 175 kg N ha−1 (1222 and 1386 kg ha−1 in 2019 and 2020 respectively) was applied. A quadratic relationship was also developed by generating a model to regress the value of ratio of cotton yield and benefit cost ratio (BCR) per unit increase of N even beyond 200 kg N ha−1. Increasing the level from 0 to 200 N kg ha−1 resulted in higher seed cotton yield and BCR (1.54:1 (2019) and 1.35:1 (2020), the curve showed that further increased in N resulted in decrease seed cotton yield and contributed to loss in N. In conclusion, the optimal N level for cotton was found 150 kg N ha−1, however, the economic optimum return could be achieved at 200 kg N ha−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration potential (CSP) and sustainability of gardenpea-french bean cropping system was assessed with farmyard manure (FYM) application vis-à-vis mineral fertilization as recommended NPK (NPK) and integrated nutrient management practices (INM) after six years’ cropping in Indian Himalayas. Application of 20 tons FYM ha−1provided highest CSP (0.527 Mg C ha−1year−1) in soil and sustainability index. With the help of quadratic equations, it was estimated that maximum profit (optimum yield) and turn over of invested money could be achieved with application of 20.0 and 15.6 t FYM ha−1, respectively. Application of 5.9 and 8.9 tons FYM ha−1would substitute NPK and INM, respectively. Pod number plant−1was the most important yield-contributing attribute as found from principal component analysis. Pod yield could be modelled through multiple linear equation with help of yield attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]