Yield assessment of rice-black gram, rice-maize and rice-groundnut sequential cropping system influenced by rice establishment methods and nutrient management practices in the dry tract of the Southern zone of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Integrated nutrient management (INM) practices and suitable cropping systems are an effective and promising way for enhancing crop productivity. However, the impact of proper INM practices and cultivation methods in rice cropping systems in dry tracts remains unclear. The field study evaluated the suitable cropping system under different rice establishment methods with INM practices in a sequential cropping system( rice-black gram, rice-maize, and rice-groundnut). Treatments were designed as two rice establishment methods [Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and Transplanted Rice (TPR)] and five  INM practices [RDF-Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (120:40:40 kg NPK ha-1) alone, RDF + Poultry manure compost @ 5 t ha-1, RDF+  Coir pith compost @ 5 t ha-1, RDF+ Green manure  @ 6.25 t ha-1 and RDF-Green leaf manure @ 6.25 t ha-1].  TPR with the INM practice of RDF + poultry manure compost @ 5 t ha-1  recorded maximum productive tillers m-2 (351), number of filled grains panicle-1 (130.2), grain yield (6709 kg ha-1) and straw yield (9015 kg ha-1) of rice. Rice fallow crops (black gram, maize and groundnut) recorded 10 – 24,10-18  and 10 - 21 % higher values of yield components and yield, respectively, in DSR with INM treatment of RDF + Green manure  @ 6.25 t ha-1 . Thus, RDF plus green manure or poultry manure application is an apt INM practice for a rice-based sequential cropping system under DSR, and the rice-black gram is an economical and sustainable cropping system for dry tracts of the southern zone of Tamil Nadu.