Integrated Crop Management Approaches on Performance of Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.)) in Vertisols of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Pulses are nutrient-rich, low-resource crops that contribute substantially to food and nutritional security in India. Sustainable pulse productivity can be improved through integrated crop management (ICM) practices involving nutrient, weed and pest management. A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive rabi seasons (2013–14 and 2014–15) at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, to evaluate the effect of ICM practices on blackgram performance in Vertisols. The experiment included different combinations of integrated nutrient management (INM), integrated weed management (IWM) and integrated pest management (IPM), and their effects were assessed on weed growth, crop growth, yield attributes, seed yield and economics. Among the treatments, integration of INM, IWM and IPM, comprising 20 kg N + 50 kg P₂O₅ ha⁻¹, seed inoculation with Rhizobium, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin at 1 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ followed by one hand weeding at 30 days after sowing, and need-based pest management, recorded the highest pooled seed yield (1251 kg ha⁻¹). This treatment also produced the highest gross returns (Rs. 54081/-) and net returns (Rs. 28550/-). However, the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.24) was recorded under the combined weed and pest management treatment. The findings indicate that integrated management practices can improve blackgram productivity and economic returns under the experimental conditions.