Effect of different nutrient management practices on growth, yield and economics of kharif rice in Telangana

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during kharif-2019, 2020 and 2021 at Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) Warangal, located at 180 01.077 N latitude 790 36.197 E longitude and an altitude of 259 m above mean sea level to study the effect of different nutrient management practices on growth, yield and economics of kharif rice. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design with 5 treatments of different nutrient management practices (organi, chemical, INM, control and natural farming) replicated in four times. The results revealed that, the experimental soil was sandy loam in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction (pH: 8.12) and non saline in nature (EC: 0.46 dSm-1). Organic carbon (0.59%) and available nitrogen (141 kg ha-1) were low, medium in available phosphorus (34 kg ha-1) and potassium (278 kg ha-1), sufficient in available Zn (0.70 mg kg-1) and Fe (4.56 mg kg-1). Significantly higher number of tillers and panicles m-2 i.e. 365 and 301, respectively were found in INM over natural farming i.e 309 and 272, respectively and control i.e.279 and 224, respectively but at par with organic farming i.e. 337 and 280, respectively and chemical farming i.e. 346 and 285, respectively. Significantly higher panicle weight (3.13 g) was recorded in INM over control (2.57 g), natural farming (2.71 g) and organic farming (2.76 g) but at par with chemical farming (3.04 g). Significantly higher panicle length (22.21 cm) was recorded in INM over control (20.75 cm), natural farming (21.09 cm) and organic farming (21.35 cm) but at par with chemical farming (21.88 cm). Significantly higher number of filled grains panicle-1(195) was recorded in INM over control (160), natural farming (174) and organic farming (168) but at par with chemical farming (186). Significantly higher grain yield (5357 kg ha-1) was recorded in INM over control (3632 kg ha-1), natural farming (3986 kg ha-1) and organic farming (4843 kg ha-1) but at par with chemical farming (5164 kg ha-1). Significantly higher straw yield (6428 kg ha-1) was recorded in INM over all other nutrients management practices. The B:C ratio was negative in all three years under study in organic farming and higher B:C ratio was found in chemical farming followed by INM and lower B:C ratio was found in control.