Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Rex Immanuel R, K Sivasakthi, G Baradhan, C Ravikumar, SM Suresh Kumar and GB Sudhagar Rao

Abstract:
Boosting the yield, improving soil health and maintaining human health are the three interlinked components of the sustainable triangle. There is increasing evidence that fertilizers alone cannot sustain crop yields for longer periods because crops hardly utilize 30 to 40 percent of the applied fertilizer nutrients and the rest is lost in to the ecosystems and degrading it. It can be minimized through integrated application of organic manures, NPK, foliar fertilization of zinc, DAP and NAA. Biofortification of legumes with zinc also alleviate malnutrition. Field experiments were carried out in a Farm at Chandirambadi in Vandavasi, Tiruvannamalai District in the North-Eastern agro-climatic zone of Tamil Nadu during Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2019 and 2020 to study the effect of INM practices on the growth, yield, and quality of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) in legume based intercropping system. The experiments were laid out in Randomized Block Design and were replicated thrice with seven treatment combinations viz., Control, 75/100/125% RDF + Vermicompost (5/4/3 t/ha) + Zn-EDTA Foliar Spray @ 0.5% to Groundnut and without or with DAP 2% & NAA 40 ppm Foliar Spray to Pigeonpea. The pooled data results revealed that significantly highest plant height (58.69 cm), LAI (4.28), No. of effective nodules/ plant (98.43), DMP (5814 Kg/ha) and CGR (14.65 g/m²/day), No. of pods/ plant (25.78), shelling percentage (73.02), pod yield (2087 kg/ha), kernel yield (1565 kg/ha), oil content (49.74%) and crude protein (26.38) for groundnut and the maximum plant height (216.62 cm), LAI (3.86), DMP (3790 kg/ha) and CGR (26.12 g/m²/day), pods/plant (208), number of seeds/pod (4.68), seed yield (658 kg/ha) for pigeonpea and the highest groundnut equivalent yield (1316 kg/ha) were observed under application of 100% RDF along with vermicompost @ 4 t/ha + Zn-EDTA Foliar Spray @ 0.5% to Groundnut + Foliar Spray to Pigeonpea (2% DAP & NAA 40 ppm). However, it was statistically on par with application of 75% RDF (12.75: 25.5: 40.5 kg N, P₂O₅ and K₂O ha^-1) along with Vermicompost (5 t ha ^-1) + Zn-EDTA Foliar Spray @ 0.5% to Groundnut + Foliar Spray to Pigeonpea (2% DAP & NAA 40 ppm). The highest Kernal Zn content of 51.65 mg/kg and B: C ratio of 3.5 were recorded in 75% RDF and its combinations treatment.