Economic Optimization of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Use in Canola-Based Cropping Sequences under Rainfed Conditions in Pothwar, Pakistan

Abstract

This study evaluates six fertility treatments applied to canola control (T0), farmyard manure (FYM; T1), mineral N:P₂O₅:K₂O at 35:40:20 kg ha-1 (T2), poultry manure (PM; T3), compost mud (T4), and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB; T5) within canola-sorghum and canola-mungbean sequences under rainfed conditions at University of Poonch Rawalakot (2024 - 2025). Sorghum and mungbean received no additional fertilizer, allowing residual effects to be included in the economic analysis. Partial budget procedures of CIMMYT (1988) were applied. Original adjusted yields were retained, while total variable costs (TVC) and the canola field price were updated to approximate May-June 2026 Pakistani market rates (urea ≈ Rs 4,650 bag-1, DAP ≈ Rs 16,055 bag-1, MOP ≈ Rs 11,000 bag-1, canola ≈ Rs 200 kg-1). Under the revised prices, mineral NPK (T2) continued to produce the highest net benefit in both sequences, although absolute net benefits and marginal rates of return (MRR) changed substantially because of the sharp rise in phosphate costs. Dominance analysis still eliminated the organic treatments (T1, T3, T4). The updated analysis reinforces T2 as the economically preferred treatment under current price assumptions while emphasizing that the original field data lack replicate level yields, rainfall records, and soil characterization therefore recommendations must be validated with contemporary on farm trials. The study supplies a transparent methodological template for updating historical fertilizer economics in AJK, Pakistan.