Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Rice-Greengram Cropping Sequence

Abstract

Background: Intensive rice cultivation for longer periods continuously resulted in poor soil fertility. Inorganic fertilizers along with integrated and judicious use of different organic sources like FYM, vermicompost, green manure etc. could be an effective choice for enhancing crop yield. A synergistic effect on crop yield is reported through common use of fertilizer and organics which also improve soil fertility. The residual effects of organic manures applied to the preceding crops can be available to succeeding crop. Therefore, this experiments was planned to throw light on the use integrated nutrients through organic and inorganic sources on rice and its residual effect on succeeding greengram. Methods: A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on rice-greengram cropping sequence at Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat during 2012-15. Five nutrient combinations were evaluated in randomized block design for rice and its residual effect on productivity on succeeding greengram was studied with three fertilizer levels in split plot design. Result: Application of general recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) to rice has increased growth, yield, quality, economics and improved soil properties and the residual effect to succeeding greengram have also gave significantly higher greengram seed yield and other important parameters and this was succeeded by application of 75% RDF through chemical fertilizer + 25% RDF through vermicompost. Among different levels of fertilizers to greengram, application of 100% RDF gave highest greengram seed yield, economics and soil parameters over other two levels.