Nutrient management in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) plus cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) (fodder) - mustard (Brassica juncea)-based cropping system under dryland conditions

A field experiment was conducted during 1997-2007 at the University, Hisar to study the nutrient requirement of pearl millet + cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) (fodder) - mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj & Coss] cropping system under dryland conditions. The treatments comprised 4 nitrogen and phosphorus levels, viz control (no fertilizer), 20 kg N + 10 kg P2O5/ha, 30 kg N + 20 kg P2O5/ha and 40 kg N + 30 kg P2O5/ha in rainy (kharif) season as main plot and 4 levels, viz control (no fertilizer), 20 kg N + 10 kg P2O5/ha, 40 kg N + 20 kg P2O5/ha and 60 kg N + 30 kg P2O5/ha in winter (rabi) season as sub-plots in split-plot design. Under dryland conditions, 30 kg N + 20 kg P2O5/ha to pearl millet + cowpea (fodder) and 40 kg N + 20 kg P2O5/ha to mustard were found significantly better over the control raised in sequence. The mean fodder yield of pearl millet + cowpea increased by 9.5, 11.8 and 14.2 % over the control with N20P10, N30P20 and N(40)p(30) kg/ha, whereas the corresponding increase in yield of succeeding crop of mustard was 5.3, 9.7 and 12.4 % over control. Application of N20P10, N40P20 and N60P30 kg/ha directly to mustard increased the mean seed yield by 19.2, 31.8 and 28.3 % over the control respectively. Application of N40P30 kg/ha in kharif gave mustard equivalent yield of 2 960 kg/ha, a net income of Rs 27 719/ha and benefit : cost ratio of 2.20, whereas direct application of N40P20 kg/ha to mustard gave mustard equivalent yield of 2 992 kg/ha, a net income of Rs 28 625/ha and benefit: cost ratio of 2.26. Residual effect of N30P20 kg/ha applied to preceding kharif crop and direct application of N40P20 kg/ha to mustard was found significant on N and P uptake of mustard over lower levels.