Productivity and profitability of safflower (Carthanus tinctorius L.) based cropping systems under different integrated nutrient management opuons in semi-arid tropics.

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at Hyderabad for three consecutive years from 2005-06 to 2007-08 to study the effect of integrated nutrient management practices on the productivity and profitability of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L) based cropping systems (greengram-safflower, soybean-safflower, maize-safflower) under rainfed conditions in deep Vertisols of Semi Arid Tropics. The response of rainy and post-rainy season crops to nutrient management practices differed between the years. Seed yield of green gram with combination of organic and inorganic sources of fertilizer (640 kg/ha) was comparable with that of application of fertilizer through inorganic source alone (570 kg/ha) across the three years of study. The seed yield of soybean (880 kglha) and maize (950 kglha) were significantly lower with the combination of glyricidia loppings (2 tlha) and safflower residues (3 tlha to soybean; 6 tlha to maize) and inorganic fertilizer than that of other organic and inorganic combinations (1100; 1250 kglha) or inorganic source alone (1180; 1350 kg/ha) in the first year. In second and third year of study, seed yield of soybean and maize with the combination of glyricidia, safflower residues and inorganic fertilizer (2170; 4500 kglha) was comparable with all other treatments (2170; 4590 kg/ha). Effect of preceding crops on safflower productivity was different between the years. Effect of greengram (1700; 875 kglha), soybean (1725; 730 kglha) and maize (1820; 910 \<g/ha) on safflower was comparable in first and second year. While in the third year, safflower productivity was significantly lower when safflower preceded with maize (1250 kglha) than that of green gram (1~15 kg/ha) and soybean (2020 kglha). The reasons attributed for this varied response were; low productivity of maize (1200 kglha) in the first year might not affected the safflower productivity; high productivity of maize (4660 kg/ha) in the second year was not observed on safflower becaus~ of low productivity of safflower (840 kg/ha) due to wilt . incidence, high productivity of maize (4500 kglha) in the third year might have affected the productivity of safflower (1250 kglha). Nutrient management practices of preceding crops were comparable in influencing the productivity of safflower in all the three years.