Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Priyanka Kashyap, Piyusha Yadav, Dayanand Sai Painkra, Manish Kumar Mankur, Jaimangal Tirkey and Jhanendra Kumar Patel

Abstract:
The present research examined the effect of the Acacia nilotica (Babul) bund agroforestry system on rice crop. The study was conducted at farmer's field village Khudmda of Durg district (C.G.). The Acacia nilotica are grown naturally on field bund in north-south direction of the tree row. The experiment was carried out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with one control. Trees dimension i.e. (diameter at breast height) and crown width range from 22.61-26.27 cm and 7.62-8.90 m, respectively. Data on the growth and yield of rice were recorded at various distances (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 m and control > 9 m). The results showed that the bund agorforestry of Acacia nilotica had adverse affect on growth and yield of rice which differs with the different dbh and crown width of the tree row and distance from the tree line. Due to increasing crown width and closeness from the tree, the growth of rice i.e. no of hills quadrat-1 and number of tillers quadrat-1 of rice were drastically reduced. The maximum number of hills (9.33) and tillers (159.33) were recorded at the distance of 9 m from tree 3 and the minimum number of hills and tillers were found at the distance, i.e. 1-3 m from the tree line. Whereas the minimum reduction in yield attributes like grain weight with inflorescence/quadrate (g), and number of grains of rice, (300.29), and (26630.80), respectively were observed at a distance of 9 m from tree 3, and the maximum decreased was observed at a distance of 1 m from tree 1, (10.07), and (1617.40), respectively in comparison with all other distances. However the biological yield, and grain yield of rice recorded at a distance of 9 m from tree 3, (74.27 q / ha), and (29.39 q / ha), respectively and was substantially higher relative to 7 m from tree and from the control plot. The highest (47.78 percent) harvest index percent was found on the control plot, followed by tree 3 (39.49 percent) at 9 m distance from tree line. Thus it can be concluded that minimum crown width and increasing distance from the tree line of Acacia nilotica had less effect on the growth and yield of rice as compared to the trees with maximum crown width and closeness with tree or tree line.