Nutrient Optimization and Yield Intensification of Major Cereal Systems of Eastern India
India is the second largest producer of rice in the world with a production of 100 million t in 2010-11. However, it's current productivity is far below it's attainable yield level. Introducing hybrid rice into the predominant cropping system of eastern India and changing the blanket fertilizer recommendations for high yielding varieties (HYV) for rice to site-specific fertilizer recommendations can help boost rice productivity.
IPNI-2013-IND-522
29 Apr 2016
2015 Annual Interpretive Summary
An experiment was conducted during 2013-2015 in farmers’ fields in Barddhaman and Birbhum districts of West Bengal. The project investigated the role of primary, secondary, and micronutrients in yield improvement of a high yielding variety (HYV) rice-hybrid in a rice–black gram cropping system. Nine treatment combinations included: 1 (NPKSZn), 2 (-N), 3 (-P), 4 (-K), 5 (-S), 6 (-Zn), 7 (local variety under unfertilized check), 8 (local variety with ample NPKSZn), and 9 (hybrid variety under unfertilized check). The ample dose of NPK were calculated on the basis of yield targets of 6 t/ha (kharif season) and 8 t/ha (Boro season). The N-P2O5-K2O dose in T1 was 150-60-70 kg/ha and 200-80-90 kg/ha in Kharif and Boro seasons, respectively. The HYV rice of Kharif season was MTU 7029 and local variety was Kabirajsal. The Hybrid variety used in Boro season was Tej and the variety used in T7 and T8 were IR 36. The black gram cultivar Sarada was grown with residual fertility.
Grain yield declined for HYV rice grown in kharif season with omission of N, P, K, S, and Zn compared to yield at plots receiving ample application of NPKSZn (5.5 t/ha). The yield was also reduced in the case of hybrid rice in boro season with the omission of N, P, K, S, and Zn compared to plots receiving ample application of NPKSZn (7.5 t/ha). Black gram was grown in residual fertility after the harvest of boro rice and produced 0.8 t/ha seed yield. The highest seed yield of black gram was observed with the local variety (T8) that received ample fertilizer.