PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMICS OF BER (ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA) BASED HORTIPASTURE SYSTEM AS INFLUENCED BY INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT UNDER RAINFED CONDITION OF RAJASTHAN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at CSWRI, Avikanagar (Rajasthan) for two consecutive years during kharif seasons of 2012 and 2013 on sandy loam soil to study the response of grasses and ber plants to integrated nutrient management system. The results of study revealed that grass species had significant effect on yield and yield attributes. Yield and yield attributes were attained higher in Cenchrus setigerus species than Cenchrus ciliaris except spike length. Highest green fodder (19.87 t/ha), dry matter (4.48 t/ha), grass seed (120.18 kg/ha) and protein content (7.36%) were recorded in C. setigerus. Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) leaf fodder (3.93 kg/plant), fruit (36.84 kg/plant) and fuel wood (23.31 kg/plant) were higher in association of C. setigerus than C. ciliaris. The maximum gross returns of Rs. 104 429/ha, net returns of Rs. 72 029/ha and benefit : cost ratio (2.21) were recorded in combination of C. setigerus and ber plants in hortipasture system. In integrated nutrient management system where 50 per cent RDF of NPK through fertilizers +50% through sheep manure was promoted grasses as well as ber plants resulted increase in green fodder yield by (80.71%), dry matter (35.07%), grass seed (36.14%), protein (26.62%), ber leaf fodder (42.67%), fruits (47.34%) and fuel wood (90.31%) over control treatment (no fertilizer, no organic manure). The maximum gross return (Rs. 122 374/ha) and net returns (Rs. 79 652/ha) were realized where combined use of organic and inorganic sources of plant nutrients in grasses as well as in ber plants under ber based hortipasture system. The higher benefit : cost ratio was noticed with 100 per cent RDF of NPK through fertilizers (2.19).