SYSTEM OF INTENSIFICATION AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN FINGER MILLET-HORSEGRAM SEQUENCE
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Date
2021-12-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur
Abstract
A field experiment entitled “System of intensification and nutrient
management in finger millet - horsegram sequence” was conducted for two
consecutive years (2018-19 and 2019-20) on sandy clay loam soils of the
Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. The soil pH was slightly alkaline in
reaction, low in organic carbon, low in available nitrogen, medium in available
phosphorus and potassium.
The kharif experiment on finger millet consisted of three geometries
with different age of seedlings viz., 30×10 cm spacing with 30 days old
seedlings (M1), 30×30 cm spacing with 15 days old seedlings (M2) and 45×45
cm spacing with 15 days old seedlings (M3); as main plot treatments. Seven
nutrient management treatments to finger millet viz., Absolute control (S0),
Farmers practice (FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ application of Dravajeevamrutham
(S1), Farmers practice (FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ application of
Dravajeevamrutham along with wooden log treatment (S2), FYM @ 10 tonnes
ha-1
+ 100% RDF (S3), FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 100% RDF along with
wooden log treatment (S4), FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 125% RDF (S5) and FYM
@ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 125% RDF along with wooden log treatment (S6) as sub
plot treatments. All the treatments were randomly allocated in three
replications in a split plot design. During rabi, the experiment was continued to
find out the residual effect of imposed treatments to finger millet without
disturbing the layout for succeeding horsegram.
Description
A field experiment entitled “System of intensification and nutrient
management in finger millet - horsegram sequence” was conducted for two
consecutive years (2018-19 and 2019-20) on sandy clay loam soils of the
Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. The soil pH was slightly alkaline in
reaction, low in organic carbon, low in available nitrogen, medium in available
phosphorus and potassium.
The kharif experiment on finger millet consisted of three geometries
with different age of seedlings viz., 30×10 cm spacing with 30 days old
seedlings (M1), 30×30 cm spacing with 15 days old seedlings (M2) and 45×45
cm spacing with 15 days old seedlings (M3); as main plot treatments. Seven
nutrient management treatments to finger millet viz., Absolute control (S0),
Farmers practice (FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ application of Dravajeevamrutham
(S1), Farmers practice (FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ application of
Dravajeevamrutham along with wooden log treatment (S2), FYM @ 10 tonnes
ha-1
+ 100% RDF (S3), FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 100% RDF along with
wooden log treatment (S4), FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 125% RDF (S5) and FYM
@ 10 tonnes ha-1
+ 125% RDF along with wooden log treatment (S6) as sub
plot treatments. All the treatments were randomly allocated in three
replications in a split plot design. During rabi, the experiment was continued to
find out the residual effect of imposed treatments to finger millet without
disturbing the layout for succeeding horsegram.
xxii
Plant population of finger millet was significantly influenced by the crop
geometries but not by the nutrient management treatments. Significantly, the
highest population was registered with closer spacing of 30×10 cm spacing
compared to the other two spacings.
Transplanting of 30 days old seedlings at 30×10 cm spacing recorded
significantly higher growth parameters of finger millet viz., plant height (114
and 116 cm), drymatter production (9761.9 and 9936.5 kg ha-1
), leaf area index
(3.51 and 3.63), CGR (4.98 and 5.38 g m
-2
day-1
) and RGR (0.0053 and 0.0060
g g
-1
day-1
) respectively, during first and second year of study. The lowest
growth parameters were recorded with transplanting of 15 days old seedlings at
a wider spacing of 45×45 cm except NAR and tillers hill-1
and the influence of
geometry was non significant with respect to SPAD readings. The nutrient
management through application of 125% RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with
wooden log treatment (S6) registered significantly the highest plant height (122
and 125 cm), drymatter production (11366.3 and 11467.8 kg ha-1
), leaf area
index (3.56 and 3.69) and SPAD reading (33.80 and 29.51) at harvest, CGR
(5.85 and 6.44 g m
-2
day-1
) and RGR (0.0059 and 0.0063 g g
-1
day-1
) at 60
DAT- harvest interval and comparable with S5 treatment regarding all
parameters except SPAD reading S6 treatment was on a par with S5 and S4
treatment. With respect to RGR, S6 was comparable with S5, S4 and S3
treatments. The lowest growth parameters were registered with the absolute
control.
Most of the yield attributes namely productive tillers hill-1
(10.31 and
10.24), ear head weight (4.39 and 4.05g) and test weight (3.15 and 3.19g) were
significantly higher at a spacing of 45×45 cm with 15 days old seedlings except
no. of fingers ear head-1
and ear head length which were uninfluenced by
various crop geometries tried in the experiment during both the years of study.
Root parameters viz., root volume (82.37 and 74.01 cc), root biomass (21.67
and 22.68 g plant-1
) and root spread (465.58 and 462.06 cm2
) followed the
similar trend of yield attributes. Nutrient management through application of
125% RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with wooden log treatment (S6) registered
higher productive tillers hill-1
(8.43 and 8.51), ear head weight (4.55 and
4.22g), test weight (3.16 and 3.21g), no. of fingers head-1
(7.64 and 7.83), ear
head length (8.32 and 8.06 cm), root volume (104.07 and 99.08 cc), root
biomass (30.70 and 32.39 g plant-1
) and root spread (504.18 and 509.26 cm2
).
The lowest yield attributes and root parameters were recorded with
transplanting of 30 days old seedlings at 30×10 cm spacing and no nutrient
application during both the years of study.
Significantly higher grain (2668 and 2773 kg ha-1
) and straw yield (6538
and 6722 kg ha-1
) during both the years of study were observed with 30×10 cm
spacing with 30 days old seedlings and the lowest yields were registered in
45×45 cm spacing. Significantly the highest grain (3079 and 3191 kg ha-1
) and
straw yield (7729 and 7903 kg ha-1
) were recorded with application of 125%
RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with wooden log treatment (S6) however was
comparable with S5 treatment and the lowest yields were observed in absolute
control.
xxiii
Data collected on nutrient content and uptake i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus
and potassium at different growth stages including in grain and straw were
significant with respect to nutrient management practices and the highest
values were recorded with 125% RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with and
without wooden log treatment and various crop geometries significantly
influenced nutrient uptake only. The closer spacing of 30×10 cm registered
higher nutrient uptake.
Statistical analysis of economic returns indicated that transplanting
finger millet at 30×10 cm spacing with 30 days old seedlings was superior to
other spacings and nutrient management through 125% RDF + FYM @10
tonnes ha-1 with and without wooden log treatment registered higher economic
returns and comparable with S4 treatment and the lowest economic returns were
obtained with absolute control.
A significant interaction between crop geometry and nutrient
management practices in finger millet was observed in case of leaf area index
and net return during both the years. The treatment combination of 30×10 cm
spacing along with 125% RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with wooden log
treatment was superior to other treatment combinations.
Growth parameters, yield attributes, yield, nutrient uptake and economic
returns of rabi horsegram were influenced significantly by nutrient treatments
imposed in kharif finger millet, but not by the crop geometry and their
interaction. Among the nutrient management treatments 100 & 125% RDF +
FYM @ 10 tonnes ha-1 with and without wooden log treatment resulted in
significant superiority over the other treatments.
The physical properties, pH and EC of the soil after harvest of finger
millet and horsegram was not significantly influenced by the various treatments
imposed in kharif finger millet.
The availability of nutrient status, enzymatic activity and organic carbon
content of soil after harvest of finger millet and horsegram were improved and
C:N ratio of soil reduced due to integrated application of nutrients to the
preceding crop during both the years of study.
The system productivity was the highest with application of 125%
RDF + FYM @10 tonnes ha-1 with wooden log treatment (S6) to the kharif
finger millet and was comparable with S5 and S4 treatments during both years
of study.