Influence of fertilizer levels on yield and economics of Pearlmillet-wheat cropping systems in Western Maharashtra

Abstract

In western Maharashtra region the Pearlmillet and Wheat cropping sequence has gained popularity in scarcity zone of Maharashtra state. A Field experiment was conducted on cultivators field during Kharif and Rabi season of 2017-18 on medium black soil in scarcity zone of Satara district in Western Maharashtra in order to study of Crop response to plant nutrients in Pearlmillet-wheat cropping systems in Western Maharashtra. The field experiment was laid on permanent site in Randomized block design with twenty four replication and seven treatments. The cropping system is more efficient and judicious than individual crop care of the residual effects of nutrients N, P, K and micronutrient. The treatment T6 comprised of recommended dose of N, P2O5 and K2O (50 kg of N/ha + 25 Kg of P2O5 /ha + 25 kg of K2O/ha for Pearlmillet and 120 kg of N/ha + 60 kg of P2O5 /ha + 40 kg of K2O/ha for wheat) along with micronutrients on soil test basis (25 kg of ZnSO4/ha for pearlmillet+ 20 kg of ZnSO4/ha wheat) has obtained significantly higher yield of grain (26.78 q/ha) and straw (42.96 q/ha) of pearlmillet. Such yields of pearlmillet have shown an increase of 35.10 and 52.90 percent respectively over control treatment (T1). The treatment T6 has accrued significantly higher yield of wheat grain (33.33 q/ha) and straw (52.01 q/ha) as compared to other treatments, which has indicated an increase grain of 34.28 and straw 54.46 percent over treatment T1.