Abstract
Field experiment conducted between rabi 2002-03 and 2003-04 at CTRI Research Station, Jeelugumilli, with different sources and levels of organic manures in comparison to chemical fertilizers and integrated application of sunnhemp, [ Crotalar ia juncea (L.) Rotar and Joy] in-situ green manuring + 110-26.2-99.9 kg of N, P and K/ha (INM) revealed that the highest mean yields of green leaf and cured leaf of FCV tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) were recorded with INM (20.84 and 2.51 t/ha) followed by groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) cake (GNC) 6.0 t/ha (19.93 and 2.38 t/ha), filter press cake (FPC) 100 t/ha (19.63 and 2.29 t/ha) and farmyard manure FPC 100 t/ha (19.01 and 2.25 t/ha), respectively. The increase in mean cured leaf yield of INM, groundnut cake 6.0 t/ha, FPC 100 t/ha, farmyard manure 100 t/ha, farmyard manure 50 t + FPC 50 t/ha and fertilizers alone was 122, 111, 103, 98, 99 and 81% and that of grade index was 153, 174, 162, 157, 151 and 97%, respectively compared with con- trol, no fertilizer. Mean grade index/ cured leaf percentage, reducing sugar content and sugar: nicotine ratio were higher with application of organic manures as compared to chemical fertilizers alone and INM. The increase in sta- tus of available soil N with INM, groundnut cake 6.0 t/ha, filter press cake 100 t/ha, farmyard manure 100 t/ha, farmyard manure 50 t + FPC 50 t/ha and fertilizers alone was 9.8, 13.1, 15.8, 15.0, 13.7 and 6.8% and that of available P was 27.6, 19.9, 28.0, 27.6, 23.4 and 15.3%, respectively compared with control no fertilizer. The high- est net returns of Rs 52,480/ha and B: C ratio of 1.67 accrued with INM. The unit cost of tobacco production with organics is higher than that raised with chemical fertilizers, as the cost of organic inputs is prohibitively higher than chemicals. With the current marketing scenario, organic tobacco production is not cost-effective as there is no price differential for conventional and organic tobaccos. Until such time a premium market system develops for or- ganically grown FCV tobacco, current system of tobacco grown with INM seems to be inevitable and can offer divi- dends and looks to be remunerative and viable on a long run.
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