INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN BLACKGRAM-POTATO-WHEAT SEQUENCE

A field experiment was conducted on silty clay loam soil of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh during 2003-04 to 2005-06 to identify the best nutrient management option for blackgram (Phaseolus mungo) – potato (Solanum tuberosum) – wheat (Triticumaestivum) sequence. There were seven treatment combinations {one control, two sole organic manures (Nadep and FyM @ 15t/ha), two sole inorganic fertilizers [50% recommended dose of fertilizers (RdF) and 100% RdF] and two organic manure +inorganic fertilizers (50% RdF + 5 t/ha manure)} which were applied to all the three crops. Blackgram yield was not affected by different fertility treatments. Highest potato tuber yield (20.3 t/ha) was recorded when 100% NPK was applied whereas, the highest wheat yield (3.8 t/ha) was recorded when NPK was applied 50% through inorganic + 5 t FyM/ha. Highest production efficiency (128 kg/ha/day) and potato equivalent yield (30.7 t/ha) were recorded with 50% NPK + 5 t Nadep compost /ha but highest sustainable value index (0.80) was recorded with 15 t FyM/ha. The economic parameters viz. benefit-cost ratio (1.57), net returns (Rupees36713/ha), return per Rupees spent (0.57), production efficiency (kg/ha/day) were higher with 5 t FyM/ha + 50 % RdF compared with 100% RdF; however, potato equivalent yield was the same between the two treatments. Since, most of the economic parameters were in favour of the treatment 50% RdF + 5 t FyM /ha, hence it proved to be the best treatment followed by 100% RdF.