Eco-friendly Approach for Efficient Utilization of Growth Resources as Influenced by Integrated Nutrient Management in Cotton and Soybean Intercropping System

Field experiment was conducted to study the integrated nutrient management on resource use efficiency of system, soil moisture content and available soil nutrients in cotton and soybean intercropping system. The experiment was conducted at plot number ‘101’ of ‘D’ block, All India Coordinated Research Project on soybean, Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka (India) during kharif 2015 and 2016. According to the treatments, the organic manure (FYM) and green leaf manures (gliricidia and pongamia) were applied 15 days before sowing of the crop. Vermicompost was spot applied to soil before dibbling of seeds in cotton and soybean intercropping system in 1:2 row proportion, soybean introduced as intercrop in cotton with row spacing of cotton 120 cm and soybean 30 cm.

The highest canopy index was observed in T3 and all the INM treatments were superior over T1 (100 % RDF for cotton and soybean), except in T4 in 2016-17. The higher system productivity index was observed in T3 (150 % RDF for cotton and soybean), T2 (125 % RDF for cotton and soybean) and T17 (T1 + Vermicompost 1.25 t ha-1 + Gliricidia 2.5 t ha-1). This proved that T3, T2 and T17 were more beneficial over others in increasing the productivity of intercropping system. Soil moisture content did not differ significantly due to INM treatments during both the years and in pooled data at all stages. Maximum water holding capacity (Maximum WHC) differed significantly due to INM treatments during both the years and in pooled data. Integrated nutrient management improved the available nutrient status in the soil.

Integrated nutrient management ensures better availability of moisture, nutrients and improved the performance of cotton and soybean intercropping system. Farmers can adopt a fertilizer dose of 125 : 62.5 : 62.5 N, P2O and K2O kg ha-1 in cotton and soybean intercropping system or 100 : 50 : 50 N, P2O5 and K2O kg ha-1 along with Gliricidia + Pongamia 2.5 t ha-1 each for cotton and soybean intercropping for profitable yields.