Effect of Different Management Practices on Yield Attributes and Productivity of Wheat + Mustard Intercropping System

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Effect of natural farming, organic farming, integrated crop management and conventional management practices on yield attributes and productivity of Wheat + Mustard intercropping system” was conducted under All India Network Programme on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF) during rabi season of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at Instructional Research farm, Krishi Nagar Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P). The soil of experiment was sandy clay loam, neutral in reaction (pH 6.7), low in organic carbon (0.62 %), medium in available nitrogen (281.43 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (20.35 kg ha-1) and high in available potassium (272.12 kg ha-1). The experiment was carried out in a Randomized block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatment comprises of T1- Control (No addition of any input except labour for operations including weeding), T2- Complete Natural Farming Practices (1. Beejamrit + Ghanjeevamrit + Jeevamrit 2. Crop residue mulching 3. Intercropping 4. Whapasa), T3- Organic Management Practices (AI-NPOF package) (75 % RDN through organic sources + two foliar spray of 10 % cow urine and vermiwash at 30 and 50 DAS), T4-ICM (50 % nutrient through organic and 50 % nutrient through inorganic sources + natural/organic pesticides for pest management), T5-ICM (50 % nutrient through organic and 50 % nutrient through inorganic + need based pesticides) and T6-Conventional Management Practices (RDN 120:60:40 Kg ha-1 N: P2O5: K2O ha-1). The result of the experiment revealed that conventional management practices i.e. RDN @120:60:40 Kg ha-1 of N: P2O5: K2O proved to be best for wheat + mustard intercropping system in terms of yield attributes and yield and this was followed by integrated crop management i.e. 50 % RDN through organic and 50 % RDN through inorganic sources and pest management with need based pesticides. Higher wheat equivalent yield was recorded under conventional management practices.