Integrated nutrient management for radish-tomato-red amaranth-indian spinach cropping pattern in a homestead area

2007

A:PS

An experiment was conducted with Radish-Tomato-Red amaranth-Indian spinach cropping pattern in a homestead area of Joydebpur (AEZ-28) during 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. The objective was to find out the optimum dose of chemical fertilizers and organic manure for obtaining higher yield of the crops. The first two crops were fertilized with 3 levels (0, 5 and 10 t/ha) each of poultry manure (PM) and cowdung (CD) in combination with different percentages of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF). The second two crops were fertilized with 3 reduced doses (0, 2.5, and 5t/ha) each of PM and CD along with varied percentages of the RD of nitrogen fertilizer (urea). There were 10 treatment combinations having three replications, whcih were arranged in the randomized complete block design. The result indicated that an amount of 75% RDF along with 5 t/ha of PM (T5) appeared to be the best combination providing a mean yield of 62.3 and 90.2 t/ha for radish and tomato, respectively, which was statistically at par with T6 (75% RDF + 10 t PM/ha), but significantly higher over rest of the treatments. Again, an amount of 75% RD of N along with 2.5 t/ha of PM showed overall best results providing the mean yield of 16.1 and 47.7 t/ha for red amaranth and Indian spinach, respectively, which was statistically identical with the yield obtained from PM @ 5 tlha in combination with same dose of N fertilizer, but significantly higher over rest of the combinations. Performance of poultry manure was better than that of cowdung. Sole application of either organic manure or chemical fertilizers yielded inferior results over their integrated use. The same treatment T5 (75% RDF + 5 t/ha PM/ha; 75% RD of N + 2.5 t PM/ha) was also economically profetable as it gave higher marginal rate of return (5000%).

v.32(1):17-28, BANGLADESH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

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