Effect of Finger Millet Residue Management on Equivalent Yield, Profitability, Plant Nutrient Uptake and Soil Nutrient Dynamics in Succeeding Legume Crops

Abstract

Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) is an excellent source of calcium, iron, dietary fibre, and methionine, an essential amino acid typically deficient in rice and wheat. In addition to its grain, finger millet produces a nutrient-dense straw that serves as both valuable livestock fodder and a potential source of soil organic carbon. The present study was designed and conducted to assess the impact of finger millet residue management with ANGRAU decomposer on the yield, profitability and nutrient uptake of subsequent legume crops under upland conditions. A field experiment was conducted during rabi, 2024-25 at the Agricultural Research Station, Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India, to assess the impact of finger millet residue management practices on subsequent legume crops. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with three replications. The main plot treatments include finger millet residue incorporation (M1), finger millet residue incorporation + ANGRAU decomposer (M2) and no residue incorporation (M3); the subplot treatments include the legume crops viz., sunhemp, horsegram, groundnut, blackgram and greengram. The data were statistically analysed using ANOVA. Treatment means were compared using the F-test at a 5% significance level, and critical differences were calculated wherever significant. The experimental results revealed that finger millet residue incorporation + ANGRAU decomposer (M2) resulted in significantly higher finger millet equivalent yield (FMEY)(2075 kg ha-1), net returns (Rs.151,286.00 ha-1), BCR (2.13), plant nutrient uptake and soil available nutrients (N2-243.2 kg ha-1, P2O5- 32.9 kg ha-1, K2O-330.8 kg ha-1). Among the legume crops, the groundnut crop resulted in higher FMEY (3333 kg ha-1), Net returns (Rs.91844 ha-1), BCR (2.57) and kernel nutrient uptake as compared to other legume crops. Among different treatment combinations, groundnut in combination with finger millet residue incorporation coupled with ANGRAU decomposer, resulted in significantly higher finger millet equivalent yield (3646 kg ha-1), net returns (Rs.1,03,819.00 ha-1), plant nutrient uptake and soil available nutrients; however, it remained on par with groundnut with finger millet residue incorporation. With the adoption of finger millet residue management along with ANGRAU decomposer, the finger millet-groundnut cropping system will become a viable cropping system for upland ecosystems.