Effect of Establishment Methods and Organic Nutrient Management Practices on Productivity and Profitability of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.) in Lateritic Soils of Odisha

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during kharif seasons in 2020 and 2021 at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar to study effect of crop establishment method and organic nutrient management on finger millet ('Arjuna' variety). The experiment was laid out in a split plot design and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of 2 methods of crop establishment viz. conventional method of line transplanting (20 cm x 10 cm) and system of finger millet intensification (25 cm X 25 cm ) in main plot with application of 4 organic nutrient sources viz. farm yard manure (FYM) @ 100% recommended nitrogen dose (RDN), FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50% RDN (top dressing) and FYM @ 25% RDN (basal) + toria oil cake @ 25% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (topdressing) allotted to sub plot in finger millet during Kharif season. System of finger millet intensification (SFMI) method of establishment resulted in superior yield attributes, grain yield (2,051 kg ha-1), straw yield (2,901 kg ha-1) and harvest index (41.42%) in finger millet than line transplanting. Yield attributes, grain yield (2,092 kg ha-1), straw yield (2,889 kg ha-1 ) and harvest index (42.00 %) were higher with the application of FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing) in finger millet and was statistically similar with application of FYM @ 25% RDN (basal) + toria oil cake @ 25% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing). The benefit cost ratio was higher in SFMI and with the application of FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing) to finger millet.