Impact of different nutrient management practices on crop equivalent yield, economics and nutrient status response of Maize-Bengal gram cropping system under rainfed condition

A field experiment entitled “Impact of Different Nutrient Management Practices on Crop Equivalent Yield, Economics, and Nutrient Status Response of Maize-Bengal Gram Cropping System under Rainfed Conditions” was initiated during 2020-21 at the permanent site of the Organic Farming Research Institute, UAS, Raichur. The study was conducted with a maize-Bengal gram cropping system under rainfed conditions. The experiment comprised four nutrient management practices, viz., 100% organic, integrated (50% organic + 50% inorganic), 100% inorganic, and RDF + FYM. The design followed was a strip plot with five main plots, each replicated four times. The pooled data of two years on yield and economics revealed that significantly higher maize equivalent yield was recorded under the integrated nutrient management system (50% organic + 50% inorganic) with 6064 kg ha⁻¹, which was superior to the organic production system but on par with 100% inorganic and RDF + FYM systems (5497 and 6018 kg ha⁻¹, respectively). In terms of economics, the integrated system also recorded significantly higher net returns (₹64,851 ha⁻¹) and a benefit-cost ratio (B:C) of 3.48. These results were statistically comparable to those under RDF + FYM (₹62,912 ha⁻¹ and 3.30, respectively) and 100% inorganic fertilizer application (₹58,451 ha⁻¹ and 3.44, respectively). Soil organic carbon content was significantly influenced by nutrient management practices. Under 100% organic nutrient management, a substantial build-up of soil organic carbon (0.64%) was observed compared to the initial value (0.52%). Available nitrogen (179.29, 172.02, and 165.63 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus (71.54, 70.53, and 68.21 kg ha⁻¹ P₂O₅), and potassium (662.2, 652.1, and 658.0 kg ha⁻¹ K₂O) showed improvement over the years under RDF + FYM, organic, and integrated nutrient management practices, respectively, as compared to 100% inorganic fertilization.