Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during kharif season 2008-09 and 2009 - 10 to evaluate the response of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] + blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) intercropping system to integrated nutrient levels. Intercropping failed to influence the dry matter production /plant, CEC of roots, root N content, yield and quality parameters of both crops. Both the intercropping system gives significantly higher uptake of N, P and K when compared to sole pigeonpea. The available soil N, P, K after harvest of crop (s) was maximum observed under sole pigeonpea followed by normal intercropping and lowest inpaired intercropping. Application of 100% RDF+50% RDN+5 kg Zn/ha significantly increased the dry matter production /plant,CEC of roots, root N content, grain yield, protein content, protein harvest (kg/ha) and nutrient uptake (NPKS and Zn) in pigeonpea and black gram cropping system. Integrated use 100% RDF with 50% RDN and 5 kg Zn/ha also significantly improved the available N, P and K soil after harvest during both the years.The maximum net return (Rs. 117010) was obtained with combination of normal intercropping system + 100% RDF+50% RDN+5 kg Zn/ha followed by normal intercropping system + 50% RDF+100% RDN+5 kg Zn/ha (Rs. 115102).
Highlights
Grain legumes are important source of protein in the diets of a large section of vegetarian population in the developing countries in general and India in particular
A field experiment was conducted during kharif season 2008-09 and 2009 - 10 to evaluate the response of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] + blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) intercropping system to integrated nutrient levels
Data of two crop season revealed that integrated use of recommended dose of fertilizers plus vermicompost along with zinc significantly increased that the dry matter production /plant, CEC of roots, root N content, grain yield, protein content and protein harvest of pigeonpea during both the years
Summary
Grain legumes are important source of protein in the diets of a large section of vegetarian population in the developing countries in general and India in particular. Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important pulse crop of dry land agriculture because of its ability to produce economic yield under limited moisture condition It occupies an area of about 3.86 m ha with a total production 2.9 mt with an average productivity of 751 kg/ha (Anonymous, 2011). Vol 4, No 7; 2012 the yield of pigeonpea (Singh, 2007) To combat this problem, intercropping system and use of chemical fertilizers along with organic manures and zinc is probably a nice way to keep up sustained food production. Keeping these facts in view the present investigation was carried out. Sharma et al (2010) revealed that application of RDF + 15 kg ZnSo4 significantly higher number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight and seed yield of pigeonpea (13.78 q ha-1) followed by RDF + 25 kg ZnSo4 (13.53 q ha-1) and RDF + seed treatment with sodium molybdenum @ 4 g kg-1 (12.42 q ha-1) as compared to control (7.78 q ha-1). Ramesh et al (2006) conducted a field experiment at Bhopal applying different organic manures (cattle dung 4 t ha-1, vermicompost 3 t ha-1 and poultry manure 2 t ha-1) to pigeonpea and reported that the highest protein content in seed was recorded with the application of cattle dung (21.25%) followed by vermicompost (20.90%) and poultry manure (20.87%)
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