Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
ML Jadav, Narendra Kumawat, DV Bhagat, SK Choudhary, Bharat Singh and KS Bangar

Abstract:
Field experiments were conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 at the AICRP for Dryland Agriculture, College of Agriculture (RVSKVV), Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India to find out the effect of residual soil moisture on rain fed cropping sequences in vertisols. Nine cropping sequences including soybean/maize/ black gram-based cropping systems, viz., soybean-chickpea, soybean-chickpea (kabuli) soybean-safflower, maize-chickpea, maize-chickpea (kabuli), maize-safflower, black gram-chickpea, black gram-chickpea (kabuli) and blackgram-safflower were tested in randomized block design with 5 replications. The soil moisture content (%) were determined by gravimetric method from two depths viz., topsoil (0-15 cm) and subsoil (15-30 cm) at 20, 40, 60, 80 DAS and at harvest. Results revealed that significantly highest SEY (3504 kg/ha), total net returns (Rs. 104142/ha) and B:C ratio (3.89) were recorded by the sequence of soybean - chickpea followed by black gram-chickpea (SEY 2945 kg/ha, total net return Rs. 81815/ha and B:C ratio of 3.27). Whereas, the lowest SEY (1138 kg/ha), total net return of Rs. 9510/ha and B: C ratio of 1.26 were noticed under the sequence of maize-safflower. During initial period of crop growth, soil moisture content was higher in the upper depth but at later stages soil moisture content was found higher in lower depth of the soil. It can be concluded that residual soil moisture availability can affects the yield and economics of Rabi crops after kharif season under rain fed conditions.