Residual effects of dual-purpose summer legumes and zinc fertilization on succeeding wheat in aromatic hybrid rice-wheat cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2007-08 and 2008-09 at the research farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; to study the residual effects of dual-purpose summer legumes crops and zinc fertilization on succeeding wheat under aromatic hybrid rice-wheat cropping system. The wheat crop was sown according to aromatic hybrid rice sub-plots on residual fertility and no additional fertilizer was applied to the succeeding wheat. Residual effects of incorporation of dual-purpose summer legumes residue either of cowpea or mungbean and application of 2.0 per cent ZEU (ZnSO₄.7H₂O) resulted in higher values of yield attributes, yields, concentrations of Zn in wheat grain, straw and their uptake and net returns of the succeeding wheat. The residual effects of incorporation of mungbean residue resulted in significantly higher grain yield (4.69 and 4.82 t ha-1 respectively during 2007-08 and 2008-09) of succeeding wheat which was on par to residual effect of cowpea residue incorporation. Residual effect of application of 2.0 per cent ZEU (ZnSO₄.7H₂O) gave higher yield of 4.90 and 5.09 t ha-1 during 20007-08 and 2008-09, respectively. The higher net returns by the residual effect of incorporation of mungbean residue and application of 2.0 per cent ZEU (ZnSO₄.7H₂O) i.e. Rupees 45,757 and Rupees 51, 212 per ha was recorded during 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively.