Evaluation of balanced nutrient application for improving productivity and nutrient-use efficiency of rice (Oryza sativa)-green gram (Vigna radiata) cropping system in Coastal ecosystem Ray M.1,*, Haldar P.2, Chatterjee S.2, Saha Sushanta3, Mukhopadhyay S.K.4 Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235 1Associate Professor and Agronomist, AICRP on IFS, BCKV, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235 2Professor (Economics), AICRP on IFS, BCKV, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235 3Assistant Professor (Soil Science), AICRP on IFS, BCKV, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235 4Professor and Chief Agronomist, AICRP on IFS, BCKV, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741 235 *Corresponding author's Email: manabbckv@gmail.com
Online published on 20 July, 2020. Abstract An on-farm experiment involving 96 farmers (24 farmers/year) in farmers’ participatory mode was conducted during 2011–12 to 2014–15 in Mandirbazar and Kakdwip blocks of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal to study the response of rice (Oryza sativa L.)-green gram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] cropping system to balanced nutrition. Both the crops of the experiment were treated with 7 nutrient combinations, viz. control, recommended N alone (80 kg N to rice and 20 kg to green gram), N with P (40 kg P2O5/ha), N with K (40 kg K2O/ha) to both the crop, N with P+K, N with P+K+Zn (25 kg ZnSO4) (Zn only to rice) and farmers’ practice which were replicated at 24 fields in 6 villages of the blocks. Application of 80 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O along with 25 kg ZnSO4/ha to rice alone recorded significantly higher grain (4.51 t/ha) as well as straw (6.48 t/ha) yield of rice, while 20 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O/ha recorded significantly higher seed (0.92 t/ha) yield in the succeeding green gram. The maximum system rice equivalent yield (8.81 t/ha) and unit time system productivity (24 kg/ha/day) were also observed under balanced application of nutrients. Higher partial factor productivity (PFP) for N and K was recorded under farmers’ practice and the same for P was higher under application of N with P+K+Zn. Significantly higher net returns( 46,994/ha) with cost of cultivation of 62,710/ha, B:C ratio (1.76) and sustainable yield index (0.83) were recorded with application of N with P+K and Zn to rice and N+P+K alone to greeng ram in the system. Agronomic efficiency (AE) of applied nutrients were observed to be in the order of N<NP<NK<NPK< NPKZn for rice and N<NK<NP<NPK<NPKZn for green gram. Top Keywords Balanced nutrition, Economics, Nutrient-use efficiency, Nutrient uptake, Rice-green gram system, Sustainable yield index. Top |