Effect of Establishment Methods and Organic Nutrient Management Practices on Yield and Quality of Finger Millet

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 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 the effect of establishment methods and organic nutrient management practices on yield and quality of finger millet. (Variety Arjuna). 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 the main plot with the application of 4 organic nutrient sources viz. FYM @ 100% RDN, FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50% RDN (basal), 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. SFMI method of establishment resulted in superior grain yield (2051 kg ha-1), straw yield (2901 kg ha-1), harvest index (41.42%) and quality parameters of finger millet grains viz. protein (7.56%), crude fibre (3.6 g 100-1), vitamin E (0.14 mg 100 g-1), Ca (344.1 mg 100g-1), Mg (164.3 mg 100 g-1), Fe (4.86 mg 100g-1), Zn (3.71 mg 100g-1) content than line transplanting. The grain yield (2092 kg ha-1), straw yield (2889 kg ha-1) , harvest index (42.00%) and quality parameters of finger millet grains viz. protein (7.91%), crude fibre (3.9 g 100g-1), vitamin E (0.16 mg 100 g-1), Ca (346.7 mg 100g-1), Mg (176.4 mg 100 g-1), Fe (4.94 mg 100g-1), Zn (3.98 mg100g-1) content was higher with the application of FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing) in finger millet and was statistically similar with the 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.