TY  - BOOK
AU  - Shalini Pillai P 
AU  - Muraleedharan Nair V(Guide)
TI  - Integrated Nutrient Management for rice Based Cropping Systems of Onattukara Tract
U1  - 630 
PY  - 1998///
CY  - Vellayani
PB  - Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture  
N2  - An investigation was carried out at the Rice Research Station, Kayamkulam to identify the most suitable rice based cropping system for the Onattukkara tract and to evolve a suitable ecologically and economically viable integrated nutrient management practice for the system. The experiment was laid out in a 4x6 factorial strip plot design and was carried for two consecutive years extending from April, 1994 to May 1996. 
The treatments consisted of four cropping systems 
(rice-rice-sesamum, rice-rice-groundnut, rice-rice-cowpea and 
rice-rice-bhindi) and six nutrient management levels (N1 
farmers' practice, N2 - Package of practices recommendations, 
N3 three-fourth recommended N as chemical + one-fourth as 
FYM, N4 - three-fourth recommended N as chemical + one-fourth 
as FYM + Azospirillum, N5 - three-fourth recommended N as 
chemical + one-eighth as FYM + one-eighth as vermicompost and 
N6 - three fourth recommended N as chemical + one - eighth as 
FYM + one - eighth as vermicompost + Azospirillum). During the 
third crop season the treatments N2 to N6 was package of 
practices recommendations (for the respective crops) while N1 
was farmers' practice itself. 
Among the different nutrient management levels 
tested, the treatment wherein one-fourth recommended N was 
 

substituted with FYM and vermicompost along with Azospirillum 
recorded the maximum grain yield for first crop rice and second 
crop rice (irrespective of cropping system). The same 
treatment also supported a better straw yield by maintaining a 
favourable grain:straw ratio. 
In ricc-rice-'sesamum, the production efficiency was 
highp.st when one-fourth recommended nitrogen was supplied 
through farmyard manure and vermicompost along with 
Azospirillum. The BCR was maximum when the same treatment was 
applied without Azospirillum. In rice-rice-groundnut, rice- 
rice cowpea and rice-rice-bhindi, the same trend followed. 
Rice-rice-bhindi cropping system recorded the maximum 
production efficiency followed by rice-rice-groundnut during 
both the years, and rice-rice-sesamum recorded the minimum 
value. 
The overall mean returns was maximum with the cropping system,rice- rice-groundnut. It was followed closely by the rice-rice-bhindi cropping system. While rice-rice-cowpea recorded the meaning of economic returns during the first year, rice- rice sesamum recorded the same during the second year.
 
Studies on the physico-chemical properties of the 
soil showed that the cropping system, rice-rice-sesamum 
resulted in a slight increase in bulk density, water holding 
 
capacity and water stable aggregates. The organic carbon, 
total nitrogen and available phosphorus content of the soil 
increased, while the soil pH, available nitrogen and available 
potassium contents decreased. The cropping system, rice-rice- 
groundnut resulted in an increase in bulk density, water 
holding capacity, water stable aggregates, organic carbon, soil 
pH, total nitrogen and available phosphorus and a decrease in 
the available nitrogen and available potassium contents. While 
there was an increase in the water holding capacity, water 
stable aggregates, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available 
nitrogen and available phosphorus there was a slight decrease 
in bulk density and soil pH in the cropping system, rice-rice- 
cowpea. The rice-rice-bhindi cropping system resulted in a 
decrease in the bulk density and soil pH and available 
potassium and an increase in the water holding capacity, water 
stable aggregates, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available 
nitrogen and available phosphorus. 
The balance sheet of nitrogen showed•a positive 
balance in the cropping systems rice-rice-groundnut and rice- 
rice-cowpea and a negative balance in the other two systems. 
All the cropping systems tested resulted in a negative balance 
for available phosphorus and a positive balance for available 
potassium. 
 
	
The cropping system, rice-rice-groundnut was observed 
to be the most efficient one. followed by rice-rice-bhindi 
based on the productive efficiency, benefit cost ratio and soil 
sustainability. The marginal benefit cost ratio for the 
different nutrient management practices showed that the 
treatment comprising three fourth recommended dose of N as 
chemical + one-eighth as FYM + one-eighth as vermicompost (for 
first and second crop rice) and package of practices 
1ecommendations for groundnut (third crop) was the most 
economic. However, for the rice-rice-bhindi cropping system, 
the package of practices recommendations was observed to be 
more economical.

UR  - https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810103158
UR  - https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/displaybitstream?handle=1/5810103158&fileid=551ab1c0-0fd2-49be-a92a-002b6bc0e849
ER  -