Influence of tillage and organic nutrient management practices on productivity, profitability and energetics of vegetable pea (Pisum sativumL.) in rice-vegetable pea sequence under hilly ecosystems of north-east India

Abstract

Fixed plot field experiments were conducted at Research Farm, ICAR Sikkim Centre during 2013–14 and 2014–15 to identify the efficient tillage practices and organic nitrogen sources for achieving higher productivity, profitability and energy use efficiency of vegetable pea (Pisum sativum L.) in rice-vegetable pea cropping system of eastern Himalayas. Pooled data of two years showed that among the tillage practices, significantly higher values of yield attributes viz., pod length (8.3 cm), pods/plant (9.9), pod weight (8.3 g), green pea seeds/pod (8.0) and yields [green pod yield (5.89 t/ha) and stover yield (7.49 t/ha)] were recorded with no-tillage (NT) over reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT). Similarly, significantly higher gross returns (125.4 x 103Rs./ha), net returns (96.1 x 103Rs./ha) and B: C ratio (3.27) were recorded with NT over RT and CT. Energy use efficiency was also significantly higher with NT (6.29%) over RT (4.29%) and CT (3.12%). NT required 44 and 28.3% less energy as compared to CT and RT, respectively. Amongst the organic nitrogen sources, significantly higher values of yield attributing characters, green pod yield (6.33 t/ha) and stover yield (6.67 t/ha) were recorded with the application of 50% RDN (recommended dose of nitrogen) through FYM+50% RDN through VC (vermicompost)+BF (biofertilizer) over other organic nitrogen sources. This resulted in 24.9% enhancement in green pod yield over the farmer's practices. In terms of profitability and energetics, application of 50% RDN through FYM+50% RDN through VC+BF was found statistically superior to others and recorded 29.5% higher net returns and 9.9% higher energy use efficiency over the farmer's practice (FYM @ 1.0 t/ha) of the region.