System productivity and energy budgeting of soybean based cropping systems under different organic nitrogen management

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif and rabi season of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at the research farm of Agronomy Section, College of Agriculture, Nagpur. The soil of the experimental site was clayey in texture (58.44% clay, 21.39% sand and 20.17% silt) with pH 7.8 and EC 0.35 dS m-1 in the top 15 cm of soil. The soil was low in available nitrogen (274.30 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (20.47 kg ha-1) and organic carbon (0.50%) and very high in available potassium (394.6 kg ha-1). Treatments comprised of four cropping systems (soybean_chickpea, soybean_mustard, soybean-linseed and soybean_lathyrus) and four organic nitrogen management practices viz., N1 - 0 (control), N2 - 75% RDN (50% FYM + 25% Vermicompost), N3 - 100% RDN (50% FYM + 50% Vermicompost) and N4 - 125% RDN (50% FYM + 50% Vermicompost + 25% Neem cake). The experiment was laid out in split plot design and replicated thrice. Study revealed that soybean-chickpea cropping system with the application of 125% RDN was found to be most productive in terms of SEY (2451, 2585 and 2518 kg ha-1 during 2021-22, 2022-23 and on pooled mean basis, respectively) but it was at par with soybean-chickpea system with the application of 100% RDN. Lowest values of specific energy (2650, 2400 and 2525 MJ t-1 during 2021-22, 2022- 23 and on pooled mean basis, respectively) were found in soybean-chickpea cropping system with the application of 125% RDN which were at par with 100% RDN. Though energy balance per unit input and energy use efficiency were found highest in soybean- chickpea cropping system with the application of 125% RDN, values of energy output, energy balance and energy productivity were found highest in same cropping system with same organic nitrogen management which were at par with soybean-chickpea system with 100% RDN.It is apparent from data that soybean-chickpea cropping system with the application of 100% RDN (50% FYM + 50% Vermicompost) was found to be most productive, remunerative, energy efficient and energy productive.