Effect of Seed Bed and Integrated Nitrogen Management on Growth and Yield of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

A field experiment was conducted during zaid season of 2016 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad (U.P.). The soil of experimental field was sandy loam having pH of 7.4 with 0.39% organic Carbon, available N, P, K, as 185.5, 36 and 98 kg ha-1 respectively. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with twelve treatments each replicated thrice, comprising of two seed bed viz., S1 (flat bed at 45 cm × 15 cm) and S2 (ridge and furrow at 45 cm × 15 cm) and three nitrogen levels [N1- (50% nitrogen through FYM + 50% nitrogen through urea); N2- (50% nitrogen through poultry manure + 50% nitrogen through urea) and N3- (100% nitrogen through inorganic fertilizer)] and bio-fertilizer B1 (with Azospirillum) B2 (without Azospirillum). Results revealed that S2 (Ridge and furrow) with nitrogen levels of N3 (100% nitrogen through inorganic fertilizer) and B1 (with Azospirillum) recorded maximum grain yield (2.53 t ha-1), stover yield (5.74 t/ha), and test weight (14.38 g) and was economically superior than other treatments giving maximum Gross return, Net return and BC ratio as ( 79300), ( 49490) and (2.66) respectively.