Kumar, RameshwarRaveena2024-08-232024-08-232023-07-17A-2019-40-006https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810213622A field experiment entitled “Comparative performance of maize and wheat based intercropping systems under natural and organic farming practices” was carried out at the Zero Budget Natural Farm (ZBNF), Department of Organic Agriculture & Natural Farming, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, from kharif 2020 to rabi 2021-22 to study the effect of natural and organic farming practices on the productivity, soil health and economics of maize and wheat based cropping systems. Soil of the experimental site was silty clay loam in texture, acidic in reaction, high in organic carbon and medium in available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications and thirteen treatments viz.,T1 - Maize + Lobia - Wheat + Gram and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval, T2 - Maize + Lobia - Wheat + Gram and jeevamrit spray at 21 days interval, T3 - Maize + Lobia – Wheat + Gram and jeevamrit spray at 28 days interval, T4 - Maize + Soybean - Wheat + Lentil and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval, T5 - Maize + Soybean - Wheat + Lentil and jeevamrit spray at 21 days interval, T6 - Maize + Soybean - Wheat + Lentil and jeevamrit spray at 28 days interval, T7 - Maize (sole) - Wheat (sole) and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval, T8 - Maize (sole) - Wheat (sole) and jeevamrit spray at 21 days interval, T9 - Maize (sole) - Wheat (sole) and jeevamrit spray at 28 days interval, T10- Maize + Lobia – Wheat + Gram (Organic), T11- Maize + Soybean - Wheat + Lentil (Organic), T12- Maize sole - Wheat sole (Organic) and T13- Maize sole - Wheat sole (Absolute control). Significantly higher values of growth, yield attributes, grain and stover yield of maize were recorded under T1 during kharif 2020 and T4 during kharif 2021. Maize grain equivalent yield was significantly higher under T4 during both the seasons (2020 and 2021). In case of nutrient uptake, significantly higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake by grain/seed, stover/straw as well as total uptake was recorded under T4 during kharif 2020 and T11 during 2021. In case of wheat, significantly higher growth and yield attributes were recorded under T1 during rabi 2020-21 and T11 during rabi 2021-22. Significantly higher grain and straw yield of wheat were obtained under T7 during 2020-21, while during 2021-22, it was higher under T12. However, there was an increment in the wheat grain equivalent yield of T10 and T11 by 26.89% and 45.58 % in rabi 2021-22 as compared to rabi 2020-21. Significantly higher nitrogen uptake by grain/seed, straw as well as total uptake was recorded under T10 during 2020-21 and T11 during 2021-22. However, highest phosphorus uptake by both grain/seed and straw as well as total uptake was recorded under T7 during first season and T11 during second season. In case of potassium, highest uptake by grain/seed was recorded under T11 during both the seasons, whereas straw as well as total uptake was highest under T7 during first season and T11 during second season. Amongst different intercropping systems, maize + soybean – wheat + lentil intercropping system along with application of jeevamrit at 14 days interval (T4 ) came out to be the best in terms of system equivalent yield (90.30 q/ha in 1st year and 82.53 q/ha in 2nd year) followed by organic farming practices, T11 (85.69 q/ha in 1st year and 81.83 q/ha in 2nd year). Use of natural farming practices in maize + soybean – wheat + lentil intercropping system (T4 ) also proved to be more economical and resulted in higher gross returns (249101 ₹/ha and 231759 ₹/ha), net returns (156061 ₹/ha and 132551 ₹/ha), B:C (1.68 and 1.34) and profitability (516.8 ₹/ha/day and 433.2 ₹/ha/day) of the system during both the years. Soil health was also significantly improved under organic farming treatment T11 in terms of organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and microbial count, microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity.EnglishThesis