PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMICS OF BER (ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA) BASED HORTIPASTURE SYSTEM AS INFLUENCED BY INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT UNDER RAINFED CONDITION OF RAJASTHAN
L. R. MEENA
ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research
Institute, Avikanagar,
Rajasthan-304501
(e-mail : lrmeena63@gmail.com
(Received : 21 August 2015; Accepted : 05 December 2015)
SUMMARY
The field experiment was conducted at CSWRI, Avikanagar Rajasthan) for two consecutive years during kharif seasons 2012 and 2013) on sandy loam soil to study the response of grasses and ber plants to integrated nutrient management system. The results of study revealed that grass species had significant effect on yield and yield attributes. Yield and yield attributes were attained higher in Cenchrus setigerus species than Cenchrus ciliaris except spike length. Highest green fodder (19.87 tonnes/ha), dry matter (4.48 tonnes/ha), grass seed (120.18kg/ha) and protein content (7.36%) were recorded in Cenchrus setigerus. Ber Ziziphus mauritiana)leaf fodder (3.93 kg/plant), fruit (36.84 kg/plant) and fuel wood (23.31 kg/plant) were higher in association of Cenchrus setigerus than Cenchrus ciliaris. The maximum gross return of (Rs.104 429/ha), net returns of (Rs. 72 029/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.21) were recorded in combination of Cenchrus setigerus and ber plants in hortipasture system. In integrated nutrient management system where 50% RDF of NPK through fertilizers +50% through sheep manure was promoted grasses as well as ber plants resulted increase in green fodder yield by (80.71%), dry matter (35.07%), grass seed (36.14%), protein (26.62%), ber leaf fodder (42.67%), fruits (47.34%) and fuel wood (90.31%) over control treatment (no fertilizer, no organic manure). The maximum gross return (Rs. 122 374/ha) and net return (Rs. 79 652/ha) were realized where combined use of organic and inorganic sources of plant nutrients in grasses as well as in ber plants under ber based hortipasture system. The higher benefit: cost ratio was noticed with 100% RDF of NPK through fertilizers (2.19).
Key words:Productivity, economics, hortipasture system, INM