Yield maximization through resource conservation technologies under maize-chickpea cropping system in vertisols of Tunga Bhadra Command Project Area of Karnataka

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of tillage, crop residue and fertilizer management on maize-chickpea cropping system from 2007–08 to 2013–14 at Agricultural Research Station, Siruguppa, Karnataka, India. The experiment was conducted in deep black soil with split-split plot design and treatments were replicated thrice. The experiment included 24 treatment combinations of four tillage practices viz., Conventional tillage (M1), Reduced tillage (M2), Zero tillage (M3) and Bed planting (M4) were assigned to main plots, three crop residue managements viz., Burning (S1), Retention (S2) and Retrieval (S3) were to sub-plots and three fertilizer managements viz., T1: Recommended N, P2O5K2O (150: 75: 37.5 kg/ha for maize and 25: 50: 00 kg/ha for chickpea), T2: T1+25% RDN and T3: T2+micronutrients (S-50 kg/ha and ZnSO4-20 kg/ha) for sub-sub plots. The hybrid maize (NK 6240) was sown in the first fortnight of July and after harvest of the maize crop, chickpea (JG 11) was sown during the fourth week of November or first week of December in each year. The pooled yield of maize and chickpea over six years was significantly influenced by tillage and fertilizer management practices. Among the different practices, the higher maize and chickpea grain yield of 6434 and 1236 kg/ha was recorded in bed planting in tillage practices and 6388 and 1192 kg/ha in 100% RDF+25% RDN+S+ZnSO4 application in fertilizer management practices, respectively, when compared to other management practices. Similarly, the significantly higher pooled total maize equivalent yield (TMEY, 8887 kg/ha) and system productivity (24.4 kg/ha/day) were recorded with bed planting compared to other tillage practices and it was at par with conventional tillage. Retrieval method of residue management practice recorded significantly superior TMEY (8590 kg/ha) and system productivity (23.5 kg/ha/day) compared to retention of residue on land. Application of 100% RDF+25% RDN+S+ZnSO4 produced significantly higher TMEY (8779 kg/ha) and system productivity (24.1 kg/ha/day) as compared to application of 100% RDF. Similar trend in N and K uptake by the system was noticed in bed planting (178 and 144 kg/ha/year), retrieval (173 and 141 kg/ha/year) and application of 100% RDF+25% RDN+S+ZnSO4 (177 and 145 kg/ha/year).