Effect of methods of planting of rice (Oryza sativa) weed and nutrient management practices on growth and productivity of succeeding crops and system productivity of rice (Oryza sativa)-based cropping systems

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, India, during 201314, to study the effect of methods of planting, weed and nutrient management on rice (Oryza sativa L.) and effect on the succeeding cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) intercropped with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] in uplands. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design, comprising 3 main plot shaving methods of planting [broadcasting of sprouted seeds, dibbling (sprouted seeds with drum seeder along with weeding by power weeder) and dibbling (sprouted seeds with drum seeder along with stubble mulching)] and 5 subplots with methods of nutrient application [broadcasting (60, 30 and 30 kg N, P and K/ ha), band placement (60, 30 and 30 kg N, P and K/ha), foliar spray of complex foliar fertilizer 19-19-19 @ 0.5%, foliar spray of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and sulphate of potash (SoP) each @ 2%, control] with 5 replications. For cassava intercropped with groundnut and cowpea recommended dose of fertilizer along with 0.5% foliar spray of 19-19-19 was applied at 30 and 14 days interval respectively. The results revealed that, the yield of succeeding crops as well as rice-equivalent yield of the cropping system (29.71 t/ha) was significantly increased by the method of planting of rice using drum seeder + stubble mulching @ 3 t/ha along with either broadcasting of 60, 30 and 30 kg N, P and K/ha or foliar spray of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and sulphate of potash (SoP) each @ 2% applied to rice. Residual effect of stubble mulching, basal application of nutrients along with foliar spray of DAP and SoP each @ 2% applied to rice enhanced the residual nutrients, yield and better profitability of rice-based sequential cropping system in uplands