Greengram Growth and Yield under the Rice-Pulses Cropping System: Residual Effects of Various Vermicomposts

Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigated the residual effect of various types of vermicomposts on greengram growth and yield under rice-pulses cropping system. Vermicompost is an utilizable organic source which is efficiently used by the plants due to its mucous coating in vermicast and slow release of the nutrients. Vermicompost use is more economical than synthetic organic fertilizer. So, economic viability, environmental stability, and enhancing livelihood quality are the major causes for its worldwide adoption in food production. The study design used in the field experiment was randomized complete block design with 11 treatments and 3 replications. The experiment was conducted during the year 2021after the harvest of rice. The various types of vermicomposts were applied to the previous crop rice as basal application. The greengram was sown after the harvest of rice with the available moisture and residual nutrients present in the field. The green gram variety grown was CO 8 with the duration of 60 days. The seeds were sown at the spacing of 30cm x 10cm in between the rows of rice stalks in the plot. The observations were made for the growth and yield parameters like plant height (cm), drymatter production (kg ha-1), number of pods plant-1 and the seed and haulm yield. Among the various vermicomopsts applied, the vermicompost prepared from the coconut wastes treated with Eudrillus eugeniae (T2) performed well and residual nutrients were effectively utilised by the greengram crop and the growth and yield were higher in this treatment. The least growth and yield of greengram was found in the treatment Eisenia foetida treated with farmwastes (T9) which was followed by control as the treatment was without application of any vermicomposts. It can be concluded that vermciomposts prepared from earthworm species Eudrillus eugeniae with coconut wastes have higher residual nutrients and it can be suggested to the farmers to produce and utilize this type of vermicompost.