PhD Thesis

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://localhost:4000/handle/123456789/48

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.nutrient management

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Crop intensification and nutrient management in coconut based multistoried cropping system in southern laterities (AEU 8)
    (Department of agronomy, college of agriculture,Vellayani, 2023-10-30) Namitha, V V.; Sheeja, K Raj
    The study entitled “Crop intensification and Nutrient Management in Coconut Based Multistoried cropping system in Southern Laterites (AEU 8)” was undertaken at College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2019-2023. The field experiments were conducted at Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuram, Kerala, India, and it comprised of two parts. First experiment was conducted during 2021-22 with an objective to identify the most productive and economic coconut based cropping system for AEU 8 and the second experiment was conducted during 2022-23 to evaluate the moisture utilization pattern and physiological parameters of the system. The first experiment was laid out in RBD with two factors and five replications. The treatments comprised eight crop combinations (C1: coconut + banana+ turmeric, C2: coconut + banana + ginger, C3: coconut + banana + cassava, C4: coconut + banana + elephant foot yam, C5: coconut + papaya + turmeric, C6: coconut + papaya + ginger, C7: coconut + papaya + cassava, C8: coconut + papaya + elephant foot yam) and two nutrient levels for the floor crop (N1: RDF for the floor crop and N2: 75 per cent RDF for the floor crop). The crops used for the experiment were banana (var. Nendran), papaya (var. Red Lady), turmeric (var. Varna), ginger (var. Maran), cassava (var. Vellyanai Hraswa) and elephant foot yam (var. Gajendra). Inter row space available between the four coconut palms (60 years) planted at a spacing of 7.5 m x 7.5 m was treated as one unit (56.25 m2). In the inter row spaces 12 no.’s of banana/papaya were planted as per the treatment. Coconut, banana and papaya were manured as per POP recommendations and for the floor crops, RDF were given as per the treatments and FYM were given as per POP recommendations. From the results it could be concluded that, among the crop combinations coconut (RDF) + banana (RDF) + turmeric (75 per cent RDF) (c1n2) resulted in the highest nut equivalent yield, system productivity, net return and BCR. The results of physiological parameters viz., stomatal frequency, soluble protein content, chlorophyll content and CO2 emission, competition indices viz., land equivalent ratio, aggressivity, relative crowding co-efficient and competition ratio and the energy equivalence viz., energy output and energy ratio also confirmed the superiority of c1n2. The soluble protein content of coconut leaf and the root density of coconut were not significantly influenced by crop combination and floor crop nutrition. Hence, coconut + banana + turmeric could be adjudged as the most productive and economic crop combination for coconut based multistoried cropping system in Southern Laterites (AEU 8).
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Integrated nutrient management for rice based cropping systems of Onattukara tract
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1998) Shalini Pillai, P; Muraleedharan Nair, V
    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.