EVALUATION OF POTATO BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN BIHAR PLAINS

Abstract

Field experiment was co'nducted from 1995-96 to 1998-99 on sandy loam soil at Central Potato Research Station, Patna to evaluate seven potato based cropping systems. The systems were: paddy - potato - sunflower/ mentha / bottlegourd / onion/ sesame, Green manure (GM) - potato - sunflower and GM - potato + rabi maize intercropping. GM increased potato tuber yield in the system. Whe~eas paddy grain yield, was higher after bottlegourd / sesame than after sunflower grown in summer. Among the summer crops, bottlegourd and onion performed better than sesame or sunflower in term of potato equivalent yield. Paddy - potato - bottlegourd was the most remunerative system and produced highest potato equivalent yield (539 q/ha) followe~ by paddy -potato - onion (517 q/ha) and paddy - potato - mentha (502 q/ha). Production efficiency of paddy- potato - onion system was highest, (180 kg/ha/day), while land use efficiency was highest in paddy - potato - mentha/onion systems. Soil analysis after four years showed that GM decreased soil pH and improved organic carbon, nitrogen and potassium status of soil. Growing mentha and onion reduced DTPA extractable Zn, while bottlegourd increased DTPA extractable Fe and Mn in soil.