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EFFECT OF CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON ENERGY USE AND PRODUCTION OF RAINFED SORGHUM

KrishiKosh

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Title EFFECT OF CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON ENERGY USE AND PRODUCTION OF RAINFED SORGHUM
Ph.D.
 
Creator GABIR, SAMI IBRAHIM MOHAMED NOUR
 
Contributor Khanna, Manoj
 
Subject ---
EFFECT OF CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY AND NITROGEN LEVELS ON ENERGY USE AND PRODUCTION OF RAINFED SORGHUM
 
Description Field experiments were carried out during Kharif seasons of the years 2011 and 2012 at
Water Technology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, to
study the effect of conservation practices and nitrogen levels on soil moisture balance, yield,
energy consumption and economics of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) variety CSH
14 under rainfed conditions. Two types of tillage (conventional and minimum) and two
methods of planting (ridges and furrows and flatbed) were introduced. For each type of
tillage and method of planting three levels of nitrogen were applied. Experiment was
conducted under Split Plot Design with three replications. Soil moisture content was
monitored periodically throughout the seasons by both TDR based FieldScout 300
(volumetric basis) in three soil depths (8, 12 and 20 cm), and gravimetric method for the
depths (0-15, 15-30, 30-45, 45-60 and 0-60 cm) to study the soil moisture retention in each
treatment. Soil moisture balance was determined periodically throughout the crop growing
season. The data on crop growth and yield attributes were analysed statistically. Energy used
for field operations and its cost incurred was recorded throughout the growing seasons. The
energy efficiency and cost of each method of planting and for the entire study area has been
evaluated from an energy ratio and cost between output and input.
The results revealed that the ridges and furrows planting method in conventional tillage
retained the highest soil moisture content leading to the highest grain and fodder yields than
the other treatments, which were found to be 2.16 and 1.90 t ha-1 and 11.21 and 7.65 t ha-1
with the 100% RDF for both the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 respectively. Also, it had
the maximum values of energy and economic indices.
Yield attributes were affected by rainfall quantity between the two crop growing years.
The treatments affected 1000 seeds weight significantly and the plant moisture content was
affected by sowing method and tillage type. The ranking of treatments with respect to grain
and fodder yields was similar to the ranking of soil moisture retention. The increment and
decrement of the soil moisture balance was according to the effective rainfall and the total
ii
crop evapotranspiration (ETc) during normal rainfall season. The total energy used for
producing sorghum was found to be 6.94×103 and 7.21×103 MJ ha-1, the net energy gained
90.27×103 and 77.45×103 MJ ha-1, the output-input energy ratio 14.00 and 11.74, the specific
energy 4.57 and 6.16 MJ kg-1 and energy productivity be 0.22 and 0.16 kg MJ-1 respectively
for the two crop growing seasons. The total cost for production was 7.51×103 and 7.92×103 ₹
ha-1, the gross products value 17.51×103 and 14.49×103 ₹ ha-1, net return gained 10.00×103
and 6.57×103 ₹ ha-1, and the benefit-cost ratio 2.33 and 1.83 respectively for the two seasons.
The ridges and furrows planting in conventional tillage with 100% RDF, is proved optimum
for the best planting system for sorghum production, although it is more energy consumption
input (106.8%) and more higher cost (32.7%), but it's more return of energy (155.3%),
money (139.1%) and led to higher soil moisture retention of 32.5% and higher yield of 55%
more as compared to the flatbed planting in minimum tillage with 100% RDF.
The study suggested the adoption of ridges and furrows method of planting in
conventional tillage with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer as one of the best approaches
for obtaining higher grain yield of sorghum and appropriate conservation technology for soil
and water use.
 
Date 2016-03-09T14:56:38Z
2016-03-09T14:56:38Z
2014
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/65007
 
Language en_US
 
Format application/pdf