Influence of reduced tillage, mulching and INM practices on growth and yield of late sown Toria under sali rice fallow

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season 2016-17 and 2017-18 to evaluate the response of newly
developed B. rapa var. Toria var. JT-90-1 (Jeuti) to tillage, mulching and INM practices under late sown condition after
harvest of sali rice at Instructional-cum-Research farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India. The experiment was
carried out in a split plot design with three replications, keeping tillage practices and mulching in the main plots and INM
practices in the sub plots. The main plot treatments consisted of two tillage practices (P1: Conventional tillage and P2:
Reduced tillage) and two mulching practices (M1: No mulching and M2: Mulching with paddy straw) and the sub plot
treatments consisted of four nutrient management practices (N1:100 % Recommended Dose of NPK i.e. RDF through
chemical fertilizer, N2: 50 % Recommended Dose of Nitrogen (RDN) through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through FYM, N3:
50 % RDN through chemical fertilizer + 50% N through Vermicompost and N4: 50 % RDN through chemical fertilizer + 50%
N through Enriched Compost). Significantly higher seed yield of 740.45 and 632.12 kg ha-1 and stover yield of 2104.97 and
1866.94 kg ha-1 were recorded under the treatment reduced tillage during 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. Similarly,
mulching with paddy straw also resulted significantly higher seed yield (750.69 and 639.41 kg ha-1), stover yield (2133.04
and 1895.03 kg ha-1) and seed oil content (34.22 and 33.99 %) during the years of experimentation, respectively. Among
the nutrient management practices, integrated use of 50 per cent recommended dose of nitrogen through chemical
fertilizer and rest 50 per cent through FYM recorded the highest seed yield (772.22 and 652.36 kg ha-1), stover yield
(2133.33 and 1904.17 kg ha-1) and seed oil content (34.19 and 34.04 %) in the first and second year, respectively. Highest
gross return (Rs.43,290), net return (Rs.25,282) and Benefit-cost ratio (2.40) were recorded when reduced tillage and
mulching with paddy straw combined with 50 per cent recommended dose of nitrogen through chemical fertilizer and 50
per cent nitrogen through FYM.