ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY OF PIGEON PEA BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEM THROUGH NITROGEN MANAGEMENT USING NANO UREA
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Date
2024
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Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi
Abstract
Pulse is an important protein source for large portions of vegetarian population.
Among the pulses pigeon pea is the prime Kharif pulse grown under rainfed condition in
India and because of its slow initial growth, intercropping with cereals is a common
practice where nitrogen management is a cumbersome process. Keeping these facts in
view, a field experiment entitled “Enhancing productivity of pigeon pea based
intercropping system through nitrogen management using Nano urea” was carried
out during Kharif season for two consecutive years, 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Agronomy
Research Farm, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi to find out a suitable pigeon pea
based intercropping system with suitable nitrogen management using nano urea for
improving productivity and profitability. The experimental soil was sandy-loam in nature
having moderately acidic pH (5.51), low in organic carbon (4.83 g/kg) and available
nitrogen (193.5 kg/ha), medium in available phosphorous (22.5 kg/ha) and potassium
(201.8 kg/ha) along with microbial population of bacteria (28.9 × 106 cfu/g of soil),
fungus (38.8 ×104 cfu/g of soil) and actinomycetes (8.7 ×106 cfu/g of soil). The
experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with five cropping systems in main plots
viz. C1: sole pigeon pea, C2: sole sweet corn, C3: sole baby corn, C4: pigeon pea + sweet
corn (1:1) and C5: pigeon pea + baby corn (1:1) and the sub-plots comprised of five
nitrogen management practices viz. N1: 100% RDN, N2: 50% RDN, N3: 50% RDN+ two
spray of nano urea (4ml/litter), N4: 50% RDN + two spray of urea (2%) and N5: control
with three replications. A uniform dose of phosphorous and potash was applied as basal,
as per the recommendation of the crops. The crop varieties used were Birsa Arhar 1,
Sugar 75 and BVM 2, as test crops to raise pigeon pea, sweet corn and baby corn,
respectively. Periodic observations on growth, yield, quality, nitrogen use efficiency, soil
fertility; economics and agronomic indices were recorded and analyzed using the
standard statistical procedure wherever possible.
Mean data of growth parameters, yield attributes, yield, harvest index, protein
content, carbohydrate content and N content were recorded maximum in sole crop of
pigeon pea, sweet corn and baby corn. Among the intercropping systems, sweet corn
intercropped with pigeon pea in additive series recorded maximum values of growth
parameters, yield attributes, yield, harvest index, protein content, carbohydrate content
and N content under 100% recommended dose of nitrogen which was closely followed
by 50% recommended dose of nitrogen with two spray of nano urea. The phenological
observations of sweet corn and baby corn i.e., days to 50% tasseling, days to 50%
silking, tasseling-silking interval and days to 1st picking were recorded earlier under sole
sweet corn and baby corn as compared to their intercropping system.
The pigeon pea equivalent yield (3,869 kg/ha), protein yield (790 kg/ha), total N
uptake (196.6 kg/ha), total P uptake (18.74 kg/ha), gross return (₹2,62,633/ha), net return
(₹1,75,174/ha) were recorded maximum under pigeon pea + sweet corn intercropping
system with application of 100% recommended dose of nitrogen which was found
significantly superior over all other combinations except pigeon pea + sweet corn
intercropping grown with 50% recommended dose of nitrogen + two spray of nano urea.
However, maximum B:C ratio (3.03) was found with the application of 50%
recommended dose of nitrogen + two spray of nano urea which was comparable to 100%
recommended dose of nitrogen under pigeon pea + sweet corn intercropping system.
Maximum LER (1.81) was registered under pigeon pea + sweet corn which was
significantly superior over pigeon pea + baby corn intercropping system.
Regarding nitrogen use efficiency, maximum partial factor productivity (52.5 kg
economic yield/kg N applied), agronomic efficiency (24.1 kg economic yield increase/kg
N applied), apparent recovery efficiency (115.4%), economic nutrient use efficiency (3.2
kg economic yield/₹ invested in nitrogen) and partial nutrient balance (1.43kg N
uptake/kg N applied) were obtained with 50% recommended dose of nitrogen + two
spray of nano urea and minimum with 100% recommended dose of nitrogen. After two
crop cycles, a marginal improvement in soil organic carbon (4.86 g/kg) and available
nitrogen (206.1 kg/ha) was recorded with 100% recommended dose of nitrogen whereas,
increase in microbial population of bacteria (30.58 ×106 cfu/g of soil) and actinomycetes
(9.17 ×106 cfu/g of soil) in soil was found with 50 % recommended dose of nitrogen +
two spray of nano urea as compared to their initial values.
Based on two years of experimentation, it may be concluded that pigeon pea
intercropped with sweet corn (1:1 in additive series) is a promising intercropping system
which can be grown either with 100 % recommended dose of nitrogen or with 50 %
recommended dose of nitrogen + two spray of nano urea for harnessing high
productivity, nutritional quality, profitability and maintaining soil health under rainfed
acid lateritic condition of Jharkhand.