Evaluation of nutrient management practices under different cropping systems in north western Indo-Gangetic plains of India

A field experiment was conducted during 2012-13 to evaluate the performance of different cropping systems under organic, inorganic and integrated nutrient management practices. The nutrient management practices were (i) organic, (ii) integrated and (iii) inorganic and cropping systems under evaluation were (i) basmati rice–wheat-Sesbania green manure; (ii) Rice–barley+mustard–mungbean; (iii) maize (grain)–potato–okra and (iv)maize (green cobs)–mustard+radish- Sesbania green manure. Results revealed that significantly higher grain yield of Kharif and summer crops i.e. basmati rice (38.2 q ha-1), maize (grain) (45.9 q ha-1), mungbean (8.9 q ha-1) and okra (106 q ha-1) were recorded in organic nutrient management. However, rabi crops like wheat (46.8 q ha-1), barley (30.1 q ha-1), mustard (6.90 q ha-1) and vegetables like potato (229 q ha-1) and radish (157 q ha-1) produced significantly highest yield in integrated nutrient management. Integrated nutrient management being statistically at par to organic nutrient management registered significantly highest N, P and K uptake and produced noticeably higher system productivity in terms of rice equivalent yield and net returns (Rs. 152297 ha-1) of different cropping systems. Organic nutrient management also recorded 36.6, 51.0, 51.3 and 81.1 % higher available N, P, K and SOC content over inorganic nutrient management. From the results, it is suggested that among the cropping systems, maize (grain)– potato–okra recorded significantly highest N, P and K uptake, maximum system productivity, highest net returns and highest soil available N (205 kg ha-1)