Effect of Different Land Configuration, Superabsorbent and Nutrient Management on Yield and Economics of Soybean (Glycine max L.) -Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) Cropping System

Abstract

Background: Oilseed crops are sources of fats and oils, which are essential for human diet, comprising about 40% of the calories in the diet of the average person safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is a major rabi oilseed crop in the country. Like soybean its productivity is also very low as compared to the global average. Horizontal expansion to augment the food production is limited and the alternative way is to move on vertical growth by enhancing the productivity of the area. Therefore, production technology and management practices should be developed keeping in view all the above point, for efficient use of costly inputs, beside reduction in production cost, for instance residual effect of manures and fertilizers applied and nitrogen fixed by legumes can considerably bring down the production cost. Methods: A field experiment was carried out to study the performance of soybean-safflower cropping sequence under different land configuration and nutrient management. Treatment consists of eighteen treatment combinations comprising three land configuration (L1- flat beds, L2- ridges and furrow and L3- Broad bed furrow) and three superabsorbent levels (S1- 0 kg ha-1, S2- 2.5 kg ha-1 and S3- 5.0 kg ha-1) in main plot, two nutrient levels i.e., N1- 30:60:30 NPK kg ha-1 + 5 t FYM ha-1 and N2- 30:60:30:30 NPKS kg ha-1 + 20 kg ZnSO4 + 5 t FYM ha-1 to soybean and N1- 40:20:0 NPK kg ha-1 and N2- 30:15:0 NPK kg ha-1 to safflower during kharif and rabi seasons, respectively as sub plot treatments were assigned in a split plot design with three replications. Result: Broad bed furrows planting method with the application of 30:60:30:30 NPKS kg ha-1 + 20 kg ZnSO4 + 5 t FYM ha-1 to soybean and 40:20:0 NPK kg ha-1 to safflower during kharif and rabi seasons, respectively recorded significantly higher yield and yield attributes as well as net monetary returns but the applications of superabsorbent reordered non-significant effect during both the year of study.