Effect of liming, planting time and tillage on system productivity, resource use efficiency and energy dynamics of rice (Oryza sativa) - lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus) cropping system under rainfed lowland condition of North East India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Imphal, Manipur during 2010-12 to study the effect of liming, planting time and tillage on system productivity, resource use efficiency and energy dynamics of rice (Oryza sativa L.) - lathyrus (Lathyrus sativus L.) cropping system. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with 3 replications. The treatment consisted of two factors i.e. liming (liming and no liming) and planting time (early and normal) given to rice crop during kharif season in the main plots and two tillage practices (no tillage and conventional tillage) were given in the succeeding lathyrus crop during the rabi season in the sub plots. Results showed that application of lime @ 500 kg CaCO3/ha before planting rice improved system productivity marginally in terms of rice-equivalent yield (REY of 6.32 t/ha) and water use efficiency (WUE) of the system (20.51 kg/ha-mm), however, it failed to increase benefit: cost (B: C) ratio. Advancing planting time of rice 15 days ahead of normal planting enhanced growth and yield of succeeding lathyrus crop resulting in increase of REY, land use efficiency (LUE), production efficiency (PE), and partial factor productivity (PFP) of the system by 19.3, 1.7, 17.0 and 17.0 %, respectively and moreover, it recorded higher system B:C ratio (1.20). No tillage enhanced PFP, NUE, WUE and B: C ratio of the system, while conventional tillage increased energy consumption by 9.45 %.