INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMICS OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) - TORIA (BRASSICA CAMPESTRIS L.) CROPPING SYSTEM

摘要

Integrated nutrient management (INM) approach for maize - toria cropping system was studied in a field experiment during 2003-04 and 2004-05. INM treatments effected significant differences on all the growth and yield attributing characters of maize over control. Among the organic sources of nutrients, application of FYM @ 2.5 t ha(-1) + Eupatorium @ 2.5 t ha(-1) increased the growth and yield attributes of maize, at par with FYM @ 2.5 t ha(-1) + Alnus @ 5 t ha(-1). However, application of FYM @ 2.5 t ha(-1) + Alnus @ 2.5 t ha(-1) recorded highest system productivity (41.08 q ha(-1)), net return (Rs. 8.98 x 10(3) ha(-1)) and benefit: cost ratio (1.64) of the system followed by FYM @ 2.5 t ha(-1) + Eupatorium @ 2.5 t ha(-1) and Eupatorium @ 5 t ha(-1) alone. On the other hand, highest plant height (217.25 cm), basal girth (7.52cm), cob length (15.76 cm), grains cob(-1) (342.57), grain weight cob(-1) (105.90 g), 100 grain weight (29.66 g) and harvest index (0.117) were registered with 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) to maize followed by 50% RDF to toria. But, the highest residual effect of organics on number of branches plant(-1) (5.26), number of siliqua plant(-1) (67.44) and harvest index (0.30) of toria were recorded in plots where Eupatorium @ 5 t ha(-1) was applied to maize. The INM treatments of FYM@ 2.5t ha(-1) + Alnus @ 2.5 t ha(-1) followed by FYM @ 2.5 t ha(-1) + Eupatorium@ 2.5 t ha(-1) or Eupatorium @ 5 t ha(-1) with or without 100 % RDF to maize + 50 % RDF to toria was found to be beneficial in terms of maize equivalent yield (MEY), net returns and benefit: cost ratio for maize-toria cropping system.