Evaluation and Performance of Integrated Crop Management in Chilli in Rainfed Tracts of Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Chilli is an important high value spice crop, its integrated crop management is an important area for the welfare andlivelihood security of farmers. Most of the farmers of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh are growing wide varieties and cultivars of chilli but so far the research findings on chilli integrated crop management were less aware. To know the yield potential of integrated crop management and its economic impact, evaluation on integrated crop management was conducted at Chandhaluru and Nallaguntla Guedm villages. The adopted package of practices was seed rate @1kg/ha, spacing 60x45cm, FYM 15t/ha, Urea, single super and muriate of potash256:150:80 kg/acre. There was wide variation between integrated crop management and farmers practice in fruit yield and economic returns. The results on yield and economic returns indicated that chilli integrated crop management was found superior to farmers practice. Integrated crop management could obtain 124 fruits per plant and yield of 47.00q/ha, thirps incidence (24.3%), whitefly incidence (9.67 %) and fruit rot infestation (6.0%). Whereas,in farmers practicefruits obtained were99per plant and yield of 43.00q/ha, thripsincidence (44.67 %),whiteflyincidence (28.33) and fruit rot(18 %) with a net income of Rs220000/- and B:C ratio 1: 1.88 compared to farmers practice with a net income of Rs113333/-with B:C ratio 1:1.36. The integrated crop management percent yield increased over farmers practices8.5 per cent. It was concluded that integrated crop management could help to improve the economy of the farmers.

Influence of integrated crop management practices on yield, PAR interception, resource-use-efficiency and energetics in pigeonpea in North Indian Plains

Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of different integrated crop management (ICM) practices on productivity, resource-use efficiency and energetics of pigeonpea crop so as to overcome various production- and climatic-vulnerabilities in Indo-Gangetic Plains Region (IGPR). Methodology: A study was conducted during Kharif 2017 in pigeonpea under pigeonpea–wheat cropping system at IARI, New Delhi, India to assess the influence of nine different ICM modules [Conventional tillage (CT) based: 04 (ICM1–ICM4); Conservation agriculture (CA) based: 04 (ICM5–ICM8); Organic agriculture based: 01 (ICM9)] on productivity, PAR interception, resource-use-efficiency and energetics in pigeonpea in randomized block design replicated thrice. Results: Pigeonpea seed yield was significantly higher in ICM7 (1.92 t ha-1) – a CA-based ICM module which was followed by ICM5, ICM8 and ICM6. In general, the CA based ICM modules showed an edge over CT based ICM modules with reference to growth, yield and PAR interception. The resource-use-efficiency indices like total water-use-efficiency (TWUE), irrigation water-use-efficiency (IWUE), economic water-productivity (WPE), partial factor productivity of applied nutrients (NPK) also exhibited same trend as that of seed yield with highest TWUE (2.96 kg ha-mm–1) and WPE (104.5 INR ha-mm–1) in ICM7 module. The energy output was highest in ICM7 (2, 23, 664 MJ ha-1) followed by ICM5, ICM8 and ICM6. The trend of energy-use-efficiency was ICM4>ICM2>ICM1>ICM3>ICM5>ICM7>ICM6>ICM8>ICM9, respectively. Interpretation: Conservation agriculture (CA) based modules like ICM7 can be recommended to the farmers for enhancing the plant growth, PAR interception, crop productivity, resource-use efficiency and energetics in pigeonpea alone or on pigeonpea-wheat cropping system basis in semi-arid Indo-Gangetic plains region (IGPR).