Yield, nutrient content and nutrient uptake of rice as influenced by rice based cropping system in Varanasi of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Continuous adoption of cereal-cereal cropping system has led to deterioration of soil quality resulting in a serious threat to its sustainability and food security in hot sub-humid region of eastern Varanasi, India. Therefore crop diversification with wider choice in the production of a variety of crops is being promoted meet the demand of balanced food for increasing population. Ten rice- based crop sequences were tested to found the influence of different crop sequences on yield, nutrient content and uptake of nutrient by rice. Rice in rice-wheat-sesbania crop sequence recorded highest number of effective tiller (414.6 m· 2 ) than other crop sequences whereas, number of non effective tiller (m· 2 ) of rice was found maximum (53.33 m· 2 ) in ricewheat-green gram sequence followed by rice-wheat sequence (52.33 m· 2). Grain filling % of rice was recorded maximum in sequence (58.9) but test weight (g) of rice was found maximum (28.17) in rice-mu tard-green gram sequence. Grain and straw yield (q ha· 1 ) of rice was reported highest in rice-wheat-sesbania and ricepotato green gram sequence respectively. However, highest harvest index (35.62) was reported in crop sequence. , P, and K content of rice grain was found highest in rice-maize (green cob)+ veg. pea (1:2)-cow pea(f), rice-wheat+rnustard (5:1)-black gram and rice-veg. pea-lady's finger sequence respectively. Ricewheat-sesbania crop equence recorded highest and P uptake (i.e. 89.1 and 20.07 kg ha· 1 , respectively) of rice among all the sequences