Effect of different tillage and nutrient levels on yield and yield attributing characters of small millets under rainfed conditions

Abstract

Experiment was conducted during the Kharif season 2022 at Research cum Instructional Farm S.G. College of Agriculture and Research Station Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh in Split split plot design using 18 treatments which was replicated in three times. The experiment findings revealed significant differences between the different tillage, fertility levels and small millet crops. Between the tillage, M1 (Conventional tillage) recorded higher plant growth attributes in terms of plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1, dry matter accumulation, number of grains panicle-1, test weight, harvest index, growth parameters, LAI, crop growth rate, economic yield and stover yield. With records to economics, viz., cost of cultivation, gross return and net return were recorded numerically higher in treatment M1 (Conventional tillage) but M2 (Minimum tillage) was observed highest value of B: C ratio between the tillage. In fertility levels, plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1, dry matter accumulation, growth parameters, LAI, crop growth rate, number of grains panicle-1, economic yield and stover yield were found to be statistically higher in treatment N3 (125% NPK kg ha-1) among all the treatments. Among the small millet crops, crop C1 (Finger millet) showed greater expression in terms of dry matter accumulation at harvest, number of grains panicle-1, economic yield and stover yield. While a greater number of effective tillers, test weight and harvest index were found significantly higher in treatment C2 (Kodo millet). The treatment C3 (Little millet) was recorded significantly taller plant with higher dry matter accumulation at all the growth stages except at harvest.