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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Integrated nutrient management in a Rice-Rice cropping system
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1998) Deepa, S; KAU; Balachandran Nair, G K
    An experiment entitled "Integrated nutrient management in a rice- rice cropping system" was condcuted at Cropping Systems Research Centre, Karamana during the second crop season of 1995-96, to study the effect of long term application of manures and fertilizers on the availability and uptake of nutrients and changes in the physico-chemical properties of the soil for sustained productivity. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with twelve sets of treatments and four replications. The twelve sets of treatments incldued four treatments of different levels of recommended fertilizers, treatments of integration of chemical fertilizers with organic sources like farm yard manure, crop residues (rice straw) and green manure, along with one each of unfertilized control and farmers practice of manuring. Organic manure addition in different forms was found to have pronounced effect on various growth and yield attributing characters of rice when applied in combination with chemical fertilizers. When compared to other treatments, application of 25 or 50 per cent of recommended N through farm yard manure in kharif followed by 75 or 100 per cent of recommended NPK through chemical fertilizers in rabi, gave higher tiller number, root production, productive tiller number, thousand grain weight, grain yield, and straw yield. Integration of organic manures with inorganic fertilizers improved the N, P and K uptake by the plant at all growth stages and at harvest. Highest Nand K uptake were recorded when 50 per cent N, supplied through farm yard manure in kharif season. Highest P uptake was recorded when 25 per cent of N supplied through crop residue in kharif. In general the available N,P,K and organic carbon contents of the soil were slightly improved due to combined application of organic and inorganic sources of fertilizers. Application of farm yard manure to meet 50 per cent of N along with 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizers recorded maximum available NPK and organic carbon Bulk density was lowest under treatment receiving 50 per cent recommended N through farm yard manure in kharif. Incorporation of paddy straw, to meet 25 per cent N along with chemical fertilizers enhanced water holding capacity and cation exchange capacity of the soil.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Field evaluation of commercial organic manures and growth promoters in bush type vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis)
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2005) Deepa, S; KAU; Sukumari, P
    In a field study conducted in the college of Agriculture, Vellayani, three commercial organic manures viz. Haritha Super (4.0: 4.4 : 2.0 NPK), Poabs Green (2.7 : 1.2 : 2.0 NPK) and Bharath Meal (1.5 : 2.2 : 2.5 NPK) were compared with FYM (1.0 : 0.4 : 0.5 NPK) and Enriched Vermicompost (2.0 : 1.25 : 1.0 NPK) as the organic component of integrated nutrient management in bush type vegetable cowpea in combination with and without two growth promoters viz. Panchagavyam and Vermiwash. Feasibility of using the commercial organic manures as an alternative for FYM was also looked into. All the organic manures tested in the field experiment (FYM, Haritha super, Poabs Green, Bharath Meal and Enriched Vermicompost) were applied on Nitrogen equivalent basis in accordance with Package of Practices (POP) recommendation of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). The POP recommendation for bush type vegetable cowpea is 20 t FYM + 20 : 30 : 10 kg NPK ha-1. When FYM was substituted with other organic manures on nitrogen equivalent basis P and K supplied by these organic manures were accounted for while calculating the quantity of inorganic phosphatic and potassium fertilizers to be applied in each treatment. Germination percentage in the various treatments ranged between 97.66 to 99 per cent and it did not vary significantly. All the significantly influenced growth characters such as height of plant, number of primary branches per plant, LAI and dry matter production recorded maximum values in Enriched Vermicompost applied crop and least values in Haritha Super applied crop. Yield attributing characters in vegetable cowpea significantly influenced by organic manures include number of flowers and number of pods per plant, fresh weight of pod and length of pod. All the significantly influenced yield attributing characters recorded superior value for Enriched Vermicompost. Enriched Vermicompost was found to be significantly superior with respect to total and marketable crop yield. Among the quality parameters crude protein content of pod was significantly superior for Enriched Vermicompost. Haritha Super produced pods of lowest protein content. Shelf life of pods in Enriched Vermicompost and Bharat Meal were the same and was 14 per cent higher than that in FYM. N and P uptake were superior for Enriched Vermicompost where as K uptake in Enriched Vermicompost and Bharat Meal were on par and superior to other organic manure treatments. Post harvest available N and P2O5 content of soil was highest in Haritha Super treated plots which was significantly higher than all other organic manures. Post harvest available K2O status was the highest in Poabs Green compared to all other organic manures. Among the growth promoters, Panchagavyam was significantly superior to Vermiwash with respect to characters such as days to 50 per cent flowering, marketable yield, percentage pest incidence, post harvest N and organic carbon content of soil. Panchagavayam and Vermiwash were on par with respect to number of flowers per plant at 30 and 60 DAS, protein content of pods, crop uptake of N and K. Both the growth promoters were significantly superior to water spray in their influence on days to 50 per cent flowering, number of flowers per plant at 30 and 60 DAS, percentage pest incidence, protein content of pods, N and K uptake and post harvest soil organic carbon content. Significant interaction effects were obtained in the case of number of flowers per plant at 60 DAS, marketable yield, percentage pest incidence and organic carbon content of soil after the experiment All the organic manures, growth promoters and their interactions had significant influence on Benefit Cost Ratio (B: C). Among the organic manures B: C in Enriched Vermicompost was the maximum. Among the growth promoters B: C in Panchagavyam (1.04) was the maximum. Maximum B:C was recorded in the treatment combination M5G2 (Enriched Vermicompost + Panchagavyam) (1.68) which was on par with M5G3 (Enriched Vermicompost + Vermiwash) (1.48 ), M1G2 (FYM + Panchagavyam) ( 1.56) and M1G3 (FYM + Vermiwash) ( 1.51). The treatment combination M2G1 (Haritha Super + Water Spray) recorded the least B:C ( 0.39 ) From the growth and yield point, FYM can be substituted with the commercial manures such as Haritha Super, Poabs Green and Bharath Meal. But FYM is more desirable from the economic point. Among the five organic sources tested Enriched Vermicompost is the best organic component of integrated nutrient management both in terms of yield and economics of production. Panchagavyam is a better growth promoter than Vermiwash in regulating marketable yield of vegetable cowpea.