Analyzing rainfall effects for sustainable rainfed maize productivity in foothills of Northwest Himalayas

Abstract

The study aimed to establish relationships between sustainable crop yields, production efficiency and rainwater utilization in rainfed foothill region of Northwest Himalayas. In this investigation field experiments were conducted for eleven years, during 1998–2008, to assess the performance of nitrogen through different organic and inorganic sources in maize and black gram. The assessment based on statistical models indicated that 100% N through urea (T2 treatment) was highly efficient with a significantly higher rain water use efficiency (RWUE) as well as sustainability yield index (SYI) under sole maize (RWUE = 4.01 kg/ha/mm; SYI = 59.6%) and maize + black gram system (RWUE = 2.65 kg/ha/mm; SYI = 48.2%), while treatment T8 (15 kg N through Leucaena + 20 kg/ha N through urea) was superior to all the other treatments with RWUE of 1.74 kg/ha/mm and SYI of 42.1% under sole black gram system. SYI in all the three blocks had a positive association with RWUE. On evaluating the relative production efficiency index (RPEI), it was observed that RPEI of maize crop increased in all the treatments when compared to initial RPEI i.e., during the start of the experiment (year 1998). The percent increase in maize yield over control also followed the percent increase in RPEI. A positive relationship of SYI and RWUE was also observed with RPEI in maize crop