Vol. 10, Issue 8 (2021)

Author(s):
JB Dhangada, AD Tumbare and US Surve

Abstract:
A field experiment was carried out during 2016-17 and 2017-18 on clay-loam soil of Rahuri, Maharashtra, to study the effect of fertigation levels and schedules on system productivity and economics of maize (Zea mays L.)- Chickpea (Cicer ariatium L.) cropping sequence. The experiment consists of four main plot treatments of fertigation levels (T₀-control, T₁-50% RDF, T₂-75% RDF and T₃-100% RDF) and four fertigation schedules (S₁-Fertigation of 100% N and K upto 75 DAS, S₂- Fertigation of 100% N and K upto 90 DAS, S₃-Fertigation of 50% N and K upto 75 DAS and 50% N and K between 75 DAS to 90 DAS and S₄- Fertigation of 100% NPK upto 90 DAS) for maize crop during kharif season and for rabi season each main plot treatments were split into two sub plot treatments of L₁-75% RDF and L₂-100% per cent recommended dose of fertilizer for chickpea replicated three times in split plot design. The fertigation of 100 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer through drip fertigation in 8 equal splits at weekly interval to kharif maize registered significantly higher grain yield (83.66 q ha^-1) and the fertigation schedules of 100 per cent recommended dose of N and K up to 75 DAS with P as basal dose registered significantly higher grain yield (75.17 q ha^-1) than rest of the fertigation schedules during both the years. Maize grain equivalent yield of chickpea (73.61 q ha^-1), system productivity (157.26 q ha^-1) and production efficiency (43.09 kg ha^-1 day^-1) and economic efficiency (305.54 ₹ ha^-1 day^-1) were also higher under application of 100 per cent recommended dose of nitrogen and potassium through drip fertigation in eight equal splits at weekly interval up to 75 days after sowing with phosphorus as basal dose to preceding crop kharif maize followed by rabi chickpea with 100 per cent recommended dose of nitrogen and potassium through drip fertigation in three equal splits @ 33.33 per cent each at 15 DAS, at branching and at flowering with phosphorus as basal dose recorded significantly higher growth, yield and quality of grains in maize-chickpea cropping sequence.