INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN Hardwickia binata + CASTOR AGRI – SILVICULTURE SYSTEM
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Date
2011
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ACHARYA N. G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
Abstract
The field experiment entitled “Integrated nutrient management in
Hardwickia binata + castor Agri-silviculture system” was conducted at Students’
Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during kharif, 2009. The study
site is tree plantation area which was characterized by semi-arid climate. The soil was red
sandy loam with medium organic carbon (0.67%), available nitrogen (336 kg ha-1) and
available potassium (267 kg ha-1) and high in available phosphorus (32 kg ha-1) contents.
The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications in 16 year old
Hardwickia plantation. The treatments comprised of three cropping systems as main plot
treatments [ intercropping of castor in pollarded Hardwickia (M1), intercropping of castor
in unpollarded Hardwickia (M2) and sole crop of castor (M3)] and four integrated nutrient
management practices as subplot treatments [ recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN)(60
kg N ha-1) (S1), 75% recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM (5 t ha-1) (S2), 75%
recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM (5 t ha-1) + leaf mulch (2 t ha-1) (S3) and 75% of
recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM (5 t ha-1) + deep furrow (30 cm) (S4) ]. The test
variety of castor was Haritha (PCS-124).
The results indicated that among the different cropping systems the growth
parameters of castor viz., plant height, leaf area per plant, leaf area index, dry matter
production and crop growth rate were significantly higher with sole crop of castor
followed by intercropped of castor in pollarded Hardwickia. The yield attributing
characters of castor viz., length of spike, number of spikes per plant, number of capsules
per spike and test weight, seed and stalk yields, oil content, N, P, K uptake were
significantly more with sole crop of castor followed by intercropped castor in pollarded
Hardwickia. The total gross and net returns were found high under intercropping
situation i.e intercropping of castor in pollarded Hardwickia plantation.
As regards to the influencing of different INM practices on the
performance of castor, it was found that application of RDN @ 60 kg N ha-1 (S1) recorded
the highest seed yield of 535.7 kg ha-1 and was found significantly superior to the three
INM treatments. Among the INM treatments 75% recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM
(5 t ha-1) + leaf mulch (2 t ha-1) (S3) gave maximum seed yield (489.4 kg ha-1) followed by
75% of recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM (5 t ha-1) + deep furrow (30 cm) (S4) with
475.5 kg ha-1, where as the minimum yield of 452.9 kg ha-1 was found with 75%
recommended dose of nitrogen + FYM (5 t ha-1) (S2).
The interaction between cropping systems and INM treatments was
significant. The highest seed yield of 709.5 kg ha-1 was realized by sole castor crop with
the application of RDN @ 60 kg N ha-1. Next to this, intercropping of castor in pollarded
Hardwickia with the application of RDN @ 60 kg N ha-1 was found superior to the other
intercropping system.
The total monetary returns from the system (Tree+Crop) were maximum
under intercropping of castor in pollarded Hardwickia when compared to other cropping
systems including sole castor.
Although the sole castor performance was found superior to intercropped
castor, but from the monetary advantage point of view, intercropping castor in pollarded
Hardwickia with chemical fertilization i.e. RDN @ 60 kg N ha-1 was beneficial and gave
the highest B:C ratio. The influence of INM practices was not observed in the present one
year experiment.
Description
Keywords
integrated pest management, cotton, costs, productivity, pesticides, manpower, crops, economics, tillage equipment, livestock