INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN POTATO BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN SOUTH BIHAR ALLUVIAL PLAINS

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Patna from 2005-06 to 2007-08 on clay loam soil under Trans Gangetic plain to evaluate the effect of four fertility management schedules viz. application of recommended dose of fertilizer to all the crops in the system either alone or in combination with in situ crop residue incorporation in all the crops in the system, in situ green manuring with Sesbania in rice and FyM @ 10 t /ha applied only to winter crop of potato, on productivity and resource use efficiency in three potato based cropping systems viz. potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) – greengram (Vigna radiata L) – rice (Oryza sativa L.), potato-maize (Zea mays L)-rice and potato-onion (Allium cepa L)-rice. Maximum production (60.24 t/ha), net returns (Rupees 98,990/ha), B:C ratio (1.13), production efficiency (190.99 kg/ha/day) and monetary return efficiency (Rupees 313.6/ha/day) were recorded in potato-onion-rice cropping system. Potato-greengram-rice cropping system recorded highest value of sustainable yield index, organic C, available N and P in the soil. Green manuring of Sesbania in the cropping system resulted in maximum production, land use efficiency, organic C, available N, P and K in soil, while application of FyM @ 10 t/ha to potato crop in the system resulted in highest net returns, B:C ratio, production efficiency, monetary return efficiency and sustainable yield index.