Moisture conservation practices effect on productivity and production efficiency of mustard–based cropping system

Abstract

A field experiments was conducted on sandy loam soil during 2016-17 and 2017-18 at Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyala, Chitrakoot, Satna (M.P.) to find out the most productive mustard based cropping system under different moisture conservation practices. Results revealed that straw mulch @ 4 t/ha produced significantly higher seed yield of sesame (512 kg/ha), greengram (1023 kg/ha) and urdbean (2349 kg/ha) than no irrigation while numerical enhancement in the seed yield of sesame, greengram, urdbean crop was recorded under the treatments of life saving irrigation and kaolin 5% spray. However, stover yield of sesame (2661), greengram (2610) and urdbean (2349) was also observed significantly higher with application of straw mulch @ 4t/ha compared to the rest of the treatments. The seed (2318 and 2503 kg/ ha) and stover yield (4893 and 5284 kg/ha) of mustard was recorded significantly superior under greengram mustard system followed by urdbean mustard during two respective years. Addition of straw mulch produced significantly maximum seed (2460 and 2657 kg/ha) and stover yield (5193 and 5609 kg/ha) of mustard during two years. The production efficiency of grain (16.71 kg/day/ha) and stover (33.52 kg/day/ha) was recorded significantly superior under greengram–mustard followed by urdbean-mustard system (16.50 kg seed/ha/day and 33.08 kg stover/day/ha). Among different moisture conservation practices, straw mulch application @4 t/ha had resulted in the highest production efficiency of seed (17.52 kg/day/ha) and stover (35.83 kg/day/ha) which was followed by the life saving irrigation (16.13 kg seed/day/ha and 32.77 kg stover/day/ha) at 45 DAS.