Growth and yield of winter sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) as influenced by rainwater conservation practices, organic materials and nitrogen application in Vertisols of SemiArid Tropical India.

摘要

A field experiment was conducted in Vertisols of Bijapur during winter seasons of 199495 and 199596 to study the effect of rainwater conservation practices, organic materials and nitrogen application on crop growth yield of winter sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). Rainwater conservation practices produced greater leaf area over flat bed at 30, 60, 90 days after sowing and at harvest. At harvest, dry matter production per plant and grain yield increased significantly by 23% (78.06 g plant1 and 1567 kg ha1, respectively) with compartmental bunding and 26% (79.84 g plant1 and 1603 kg ha1, respectively) with ridges and furrows over flat bed (63.44 g plant1 and 1276 kg ha1, respectively). Among the organic materials, application of Leucaena loppings at 2.5 Mg ha1 was superior to farmyard manure at 2.5 Mg ha1 and vermicompost at 1.0 Mg ha1, respectively in dry matter production per plant and its accumulation in leaf, stem and ear at all the stages of crop growth. Greater leaf area per plant was produced with application of Leucaena loppings over farmyard manure and vermicompost at all stages of crop growth. At harvest, application of Leucaena loppings significantly increased the dry matter production per plant by 9% (76.37 g plant1) and grain yield by 12% (1570 kg ha1) over vermicompost. Application of 25 and 50 kg N ha1 produced significantly more leaf area per plant at 60, 90 days after sowing and at harvest. Increase in N application up to 50 kg ha1 increased the dry matter production and grain yield significantly over 25 kg N ha1 and control. Application of 25 and 50 kg N ha1 produced significantly higher dry matter per plant at harvest by 18% and 28% (75.52 and 81.85 g plant1, respectively) and grain yield by 20% and 31% (1522 and 165 5 kg ha1, respectively) over control.