Productivity, profitability and energetics of buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) cultivars as influenced by varying levels of vermicompost in acidic soils of Sikkim Himalayas, India

SUBHASH BABU; RAGHAVENDRA SINGH; R K AVASTHE; G S YADAV; TIRTHA KUMARI CHETTRI; D J RAJKHOWA

doi:10.56093/ijas.v86i7.59726

Authors

SUBHASH BABU ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102
RAGHAVENDRA SINGH ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102
R K AVASTHE ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102
G S YADAV ICAR Research complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, West Tripura
TIRTHA KUMARI CHETTRI ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok 737 102
D J RAJKHOWA ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v86i7.59726

Keywords:

Buckwheat, Energetics, Net returns, Sikkim, Vermicompost

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Research Farm of ICAR Sikkim Centre, Tadong rabi 2011 and 2012 to find out the optimum dose of vermincompost for obtaining higher productivity, profitability and energetics of two local buckwheat cultivars in Sikkim Himalaya. Results revealed that among the two cultivars, Teethey recorded significantly higher number of grains/plant (170 and 165), test weight (23.8 and 23.2g), gross returns (60 × 103 and 54 × 103 ₹/ha), net returns (41 × 103 and 36 × 103 ₹/ha), B:C ratio (2.18 and 1.89), profitability (306 and 264 ₹/ha/day), production efficiency (7.88 and 7.09 kg/ha/day) and EUE (22.7 and 20.8%) over Meethey. This led to 10.8 and 9.4%, 17.2 and 18.4% and 11.7 and 8.4% increment in grain yield, B:C ratio and energy use efficiency (EUE) over Meethey. Application of vermicompost (VC) @ 2.5 tonnes/ha recorded higher values of grains/plant, test weight, grain yield and haulm yield resulting in highest gross returns. However, significantly higher B:C ratio (2.30 and 2.14) was found with VC @ 1.5 tonnes/ha over other VC levels during both years. Similarly, application of VC @ 1.5 tonnes/ha recorded maximum EUE (23.4 and 22.3%), energy productivity (1.34 and 1.28 kg/MJ) resulting in more energy saving for buckwheat production as compared to other levels of VC.

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