Nutrient management of paira crops in rice fallow

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Field Experimental Block, Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station, Keonjhar, during Kharif - Rabi season of 2018-19 and 2019-20 to find out the suitable nutrient management practices of paira crops in rice fallow. The experiment was laid out in a Split-plot Design. The treatments combination comprised 5 nutrient management practices in the main plot viz. N1: Farmers’ practice (RDF to rice i.e 60-30-30 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha & no fertilizer to paira crop), N2: Recommended ‘P’ dose of paira crop to rice as basal, N3: Recommended ‘P’ dose of paira crop to rice at P.I. stage, N4: Recommended ‘P’ dose of paira crop to rice two days before sowing of paira crop and N5: Foliar application of water soluble fertilizer (18:18:18) @ 1% at 10 days before and at initiation of flowering of paira crop and 3 paira crops in the sub plot viz. chickpea, field pea and lathyrus. Results revealed that application of recommended ‘P’ dose of paira crop to rice at P. I. stage registered the maximum mean grain yield of 751 kg/ha. The yield increment was 29% over the control. Among the paira crops, lathyrus produced the maximum mean yield of 872 kg/ha followed by field pea (583 kg/ ha) and chickpea (516 kg/ha). The highest net return of Rs 12041/- and B:C of 1.58 per ha was obtained when recommended ‘P’ dose of paira crop to rice at P. I. stage was applied. Among the paira crops, lathyrus produced the maximum net return of Rs 14963/- and B:C of 1.75 per ha.