Nitrogen requirment of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) based cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 2000-02 to study the performance of fennel (Foeniculum wlgare Mill.)-based cropping systems under various nitrogen levels on sandy ioam soil of Delhi. Intercrapping of potato (Solarium luberosum.), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var botytis L.) and radish (Raphanus safitus L.) in fennel declined the seed yield of fennel to the tune of 14.5,23.3 and 3 1.4% compared to sole fennel respectively. While incIusion of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.) in fennel increased 6% fennel yield'over sole fennel. Similar effects of cropping systems were also noticed on plant height, branchedplant, stover yield and nutrient uptake. The maximum contents of soil available nitrogen (191.8 kgha) and potassium (229.5 kgha) were analyzed after fennel + fenugreek system while highest content of soil available phosphorus (12.9 kglha) was left by sole fennel. The fennel + fenugreek (3.44 tonneslha) closely followed by fennel +potato (3.23 tonnesrha) was found the most productive intercropping system. Increasing nitrogen application levels from control to three-fourth of recommended dose of nitrogen to both main and intercrops significantly improved the plant height, brancheslplant. seed and stover yield, fenugreek seed equivalents and nutrient uptake. The residual contents of available nitrogen in soil enhanced up to the full recommended dose of nitrogen while increase in contents of available phosphorus and potassium was noticed up the half of recommended dose of nitrogen. The maximum nitrogen use efficiency of 14.55 kg fennel seed equivalentskg of N applied was recorded by fennel + fenugreek system at three fourth of recommended dose of nitrogen.