Agronomic evaluation of the system of barley intensification on growth dynamics and yield of organic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2015-16 and 2016-17 at the Crop Research Farm, SHUATS Model of Organic Farm (SMOF), Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P.), to evaluate the “Agronomic Evaluation of the System of Barley Intensification on Growth Dynamics and Yield of Organic Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)”. Pooled data over the two years revealed that the SBI technique significantly outperformed other methods, recording the highest number of tillers per hill (12.26), maximum plant dry weight (23.573 g/hill), longest spike length (8.62 cm), greatest number of grains per spike (54.19), highest grain yield (3.40 t/ha), and straw yield (8.12 t/ha). Additionally, the Kera method demonstrated a significantly higher crop growth rate (20.703 g/m²/day) during the 75-90 DAS interval. Among the organic nutrient sources, farmyard manure (12 t/ha) showed superior performance, with a significantly higher number of tillers per hill (12.24), greater plant dry weight (23.537 g/hill), highest crop growth rate (17.985 g/m²/day), longest spike length (8.58 cm), most grains per spike (54.24), and highest grain (3.49 t/ha) and straw yield (8.23 t/ha). Furthermore, the highest benefit-cost ratio was observed with the SBI technique combined with poultry manure (2 t/ha) across both years and on average.