Residual effect of integrated nutrient management on the growth, yield and profitability of linseed in black gram -linseed cropping system of plateau region of Jharkhand

Introduction

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is one of the oldest crop plants cultivated in around 47 countries for the purpose of seed, oil and fiber. In South West Asia and Canada, it is primarily cultivated for oil whereas, in Russia, Egypt and north western European countries it is mainly cultivated for the production of high-quality fiber for making linen fabrics and several other products. Linseed occupies an area of 3.27 million ha yielding 3.18 million tonnes with an average productivity of 975.10 kg/ha in the world (FAO Stat, 2020) [8] . India holds fifth position in area after Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Canada and China but ranks sixth in production after Kazakhstan, Canada, Russian Federation, China and USA. India is the most prominent country in oilseed production from time immemorial. Oilseed crops contribute a significant proportion to the Indian agricultural economy. Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is the second most important rabi oilseed crop next to rapeseed and mustard in India. It is mostly grown under upland condition due to its low nutrient and water requirement. Linseed has wide use, it is a source of food, feed, fiber, oil, medicine, industrial raw material and export commodity. Linseed possesses a very healthy fatty acids (linoleic-Omega 6 and alpha-linolenic acids or Omega 3). Linseed cake is rich in micro elements, vitamins, dietary cellulose, and proteins (up to 38%) (Altai, 2010) [1] . Seed contains a good percentage of oil which varies from 33 to 47 per cent in different varieties. India occupies area under linseed is 3.20 lakh ha with a production and productivity of about 1.74 lakh tonnes and 543.80 kg/ha, respectively (Anonymous, 2020) [2] . Madhya Pradesh is the leading state both in area and production followed by Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, accounting 97per cent of total area of the country. In Jharkhand linseed crop have potential of increasing the farmer's income and simultaneously effectively use of moisture and nutrients after harvesting of Kharif cops. In Jharkhand it is cultivated in area 52.07 ('000) ha with production 29.68 ('000) tonnes and average yield is 570 kg ha -1 (Anonymous, 2020) [2] . The lower productivity of linseed is mainly due to inadequate nutrition management and crop is grown on marginal land without proper management. Doubling farmers income can be achieved by crop diversification, pulses as a candidate crop, growing double purpose linseed is a viable option through INM. The influence of nutrient applied to the preceding crops in a cropping system is constructively affecting the productivity of succeeding crop. Based on the applied source and level of nutrients, the residual outcome would vary along with nature of the crop followed by and INM practices applied to preceding crop. Application of organic sources like FYM and seed inoculation with bio fertilizers like rhizobium and plant growth promoting rhizobium (PGPR) compared to inorganic sources alone to the preceding crop, had more carry overcapacity (CoC) on the succeeding crop. Integration of different sources of nutrients also reduces the load of chemical fertilizers within reach of small and marginal farmers (Saikia et al. 2018) [25] . Black gram imposed integrated nutrient management being a leguminous crop grown as preceding crop in the system, through fixing atmospheric nitrogen biologically, exert great influence on the productivity of succeeding linseed crop. Uplands are mainly rainfed, monocropped dominated by rice with low and unstable yield. Among different rainfed rice ecosystems, productivity of rainfed upland rice area is low. Crop diversification and rice substitution in rainfed upland rice area through low water requiring deep-rooted crops like black gram was effective means for ensuring higher and stable productivity of rainfed upland rice ecosystem (Kar et al. 2005) [10] . Crop diversity in rainfed by black gram can increase productivity. Since, black gram is predominantly raised under upland rainfed conditions. Rice-fallow cropping system is predominant cropping system in upland rainfed condition and more extensive, while rice-wheat cropping system as it exploits more natural resources. Under upland rainfed condition short duration of black gram-linseed cropping system will be more remunerative with respect to productivity, profitability and eco-friendly. Keeping above points in view, the present study was taken to assess the residual effect of integrated nutrient management practiced in black gram on the growth, yield and profitability of linseed in black gram -linseed cropping system.

Materials and Methods

The field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm of Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, during kharif and rabi season in two consecutive years, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The soil was sandy loam in texture (60.8% sand, 27.8% silt and 11.4% clay), acidic in reaction (pH 5.89), low in available nitrogen (247.13 kg/ha) and organic carbon (0.39 %), medium in available phosphorus (47.52 kg/ha), potassium (186.32 kg/ha) and in Sulphur (32.12 kg/ha). Experiment was laid out in Factorial RBD and replicated thrice. The treatments imposed to preceding black gram crop were 12 treatment combination, four fertilizer level viz. CF1= Control, CF2=75% RDF, CF3=100% RDF and CF4=125% RDF (RDF: 20:40:20:20 N: P2O5:K2O:S kg/ha), two level of organic manure viz. FYM1= control and FYM2=@5tha -1 and three biofertilizer level viz. BF1=rhizobium, BF2=PGPR and BF3= rhizobium + PGPR. Treatments were randomly assigned in three replicates. Well decomposed FYM was incorporated in soil 15 days before sowing of black gram as per treatment. Full dose of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and Sulphur were applied as per treatment through Urea, DAP, MOP and phosphogypsum as basal application just before sowing of black gram. A uniform dose of lime was applied @ 4q/ha on furrow at sowing of black gram. Black gram seed treatment with biofertilizers viz. Rhizobium and plant growth promoting Rhizobium (PGPR) LMn16 were applied by inoculating seeds with biofertilizers culture @25 g kg -1 of seed by slurry method. The seed inoculation was done as per the treatment. In linseed crop, 50 % RDF (RDF: 40:30:20:20 N: P2O5:K2O :S kg/ha) i.e., nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and Sulphur were given through DAP, MOP and phosphogypsum as basal application. Without disturbing the experimental layout, succeeding linseed var. Divya with a seed rate of 20kg ha -1 was sown in line at spacing 30 X 10 cm. During both the season 2020-21 and 2021-22 crop was sown on November 13 th and 11 th and harvested on 9 th April in 2021and 13 th April in 2022, respectively. All observations related to crop growth on different growing stages and yield attributes were recorded from randomly selected 5 plants of each treatment. Seed yield from the net plot area leaving two boarder rows all around was recorded after drying bundles under sun to an optimum moisture level of 9% and converted into yield kgha - 1 .The cost of inputs as well as price of linseed was accorded by using government regulated minimum support prices and profitability was calculated in terms of ₹ha -1 .Data on growth, yield and yield attributes and profitability were statistically analyzed by using the standard statistical procedures (Gomez and Gomez,1984) [9] . 20,48.70,59.80 and 74.20 cm during 2021-22, respectively) and both were significantly superior over 75% RDF and control. Inorganic fertilizers with high nutrient content are very important sources and improves the availability of nutrients in significant growth stages that facilitate better crop growth, payoff greater transfer of nutrients as well as left their residual effects on soil. The results are with conformity with the observations by Sharma et al. (2011) [26] . FYM applied to preceding black gram significantly influenced the plant height of succeeding linseed. An appraisal of data in Table 1 indicated that during both years of experimentation the treatment receiving FYM @5t ha -1 to preceding black gram recorded significantly maximum plant height of succeeding linseed of 17.60,49.10,56.50 and 67.60 cm at 40, 60, 80 DAS and at harvest during 2020-21and of 18.20,49.80,57.50 and 68.20 cm at 40, 60, 80 DAS and at harvest during 2021-22, respectively as compared to treatment without FYM. This might be due to the improvement of soil condition through FYM as a source of organic matter. Application of organic manure improved the whole soil health by increasing soil organic carbon, soil microbes and soil nutrient availability and ensure better plant growth. The superiority of residual effect of FYM through efficient utilization of mineralized N and Zn from FYM would have increase the availability of N throughout the growth period of succeeding linseed crop resulted in better absorption, translocation and assimilation of nutrients as photosynthates. Better portioning of photosynthates between source and sink led to greater assimilation of dry matter in fruiting parts resulted in improvement of yield attributing characters. Seed inoculation of preceding black gram seed with biofertilizers have no significantly residual effect on plant height of linseed. Residual effect of dual seed inoculation of preceding black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR showed maximum plant height of linseed at 40,60,80 DAS and at harvest i.e17.20,46.80,55.10 and 66.30 cm during 2020-21 and 17.70,47.70,56.30 and 66.90 cm during,2021-22 respectively than Rhizobium and PGPR alone. Increase in crop growth due to combined inoculation of Rhizobium + PGPR might be improvement of nutrient status of soil due to symbiotic nitrogen fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by microbes and PGPR have favorable effects on metabolic process and better vegetative growth by synergistic interactions with microorganisms within the rhizosphere, which indirectly boosts plant growth rate. The results are in agreement with the findings of Basim and Raghu (2015) [3] . Data presented in Table 2 during 2021-22, respectively and both were significantly superior over 75% RDF and control. Increasing in dry matter accumulation is the prerequisite for higher yields and is an index that representing the plant's growth and metabolic efficiency tends to crop yield. This might be due to the nitrogen as a major component of protoplasm helps in photosynthesis and enhances metabolic rate, cell division and cell elongation and phosphorus enhances leaf expansion, leads to more accumulation of net photosynthates and due to balanced and optimum nutrition of N, P, K and S. The results are in agreement with the findings of Patil et al. (2018) [22] and Sune et al. (2006) [29] . Increasing level of nutrients imposed to succeeding black gram and 50% RDF applied to preceding linseed resulted in better dry matter production which might be due to increased photosynthates and their translocation to different parts. which was also noticed by Bharat et al. (2013) [4] , Singh et al. (2013) [28] and Meena et al. (2011) [16] . Residual effect of FYM @ 5t ha -1 [18] and Dubey et al. (2020) [6] . These results are in concurrence with the findings of Reddy and Singh (2018) [24] , Sunil et al. (2018) [30] , Kumar and Sood (2020) [12] , Kaushal and Umrao (2020) [11] , Meena et al. (2020) [16] and Nautiyal et al. (2021) [20] . Residual effect of dual seed inoculation of preceding black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR or alone did not influence the dry matter accumulation of linseed. Maximum Kharif. This treatment was statistically at par to 100% RDF applied to black gram and significantly superior to control and 75% RDF to imposed to black gram. It is probably due to the better availability of nutrients to linseed at critical growth stages during Rabi when applied to preceding black gram in Kharif season and active contribution of leaves in photosynthesis which directly influenced crop growth rate. These results are in concurrence with the findings of Ramesh and Ram Prasad (2013) [23] and Kumari et al. (2021) [13] . There was significant influence of residual effect of FYM applied to Kharif black gram on CGR of Rabi linseed at different growth stages. Maximum CGR i.e.,1.46,3.19,2.50 and 1.20 gm m -2 day -1 during 2020-21 and 1.46,3.21,2.48 and 1.18 gm m -2 day -1 during 2021-22, respectively of linseed were registered with FYM @ 5t ha -1 applied to black gram, which was found to be superior over without FYM. This might be due to additional supply of plant nutrients after decomposition and mineralization, FYM supplied available nutrients directly to succeeding crop, which are responsible for activation of cell division and elongation in axillary buds and attributed to improved vegetative growth. These findings are in line with the observations by Singh et al. (2013) [28] , Chaudhary (2016) [5] and Markar et al. (2018) [15] . FYM has favorable effect on chemical, physical and biological properties of soil lead to more CoC (carry over capacity) to preceding linseed crop. Residual effect of dual seed inoculation of preceding black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR or alone did not influence the CGR of linseed. Maximum CGR (1.47,3.02,2.47 and 1.14 gm m -2 day -1 during 2020-21 and 1.45,3.10,2.38 and 1.13 gm m -2 day -1 during 2021-22) were registered with dual seed inoculation of black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR in all respective growth stages and at harvest during both consecutive years. Beneficial effect of dual seed inoculation of black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR on CGR of linseed might be due to increased nodulation and nitrogen fixation in preceding black gram, which indirectly improve nutrient status of soil and make available to linseed crop and substantially reduce the need for soil nitrogen supplement. On the other hand, PGPR enhances ability to resist biotic and abiotic stress of black gram by improving nutrient absorption, producing phytohormones and releasing antibiotics. (Lyu et al., 2020 and Sindhu et al., 2020) [14,27] which improv soil health for succeeding linseed. Interaction effects of residual effect of fertility levels, FYM levels and biofertilizers imposed to preceding black gram were non-significant to all respective growth parameters at all growth stages of linseed.

Results and Discussion

Effect on yield and yield attributes

It is evident from Table 3 that different fertilizer and FYM levels applied to preceding black gram have significant residual effect on yield and yield attributes of preceding linseed, while seed inoculation of black gram with biofertilizers has no significant residual effect during both years of experimentation. Among yield attributes, maximum primary and secondary branches (8.02 and 22.03; 8.32 and 22.91Nos.) and capsules per plant (75.32 and 76.73Nos.), respectively were registered with residual effect of 125% RDF imposed to black gram and this was fb the treatment receiving residual effect of 100% RDF applied to black gram in two consecutive years i.e., 2020-21 and 2021-22 and superior over control and 75% RDF applied to black gram. Residual effect of fertilizer levels imposed to black gram not significantly influenced the seeds per capsule and 1000 seed wight of linseed. Maximum seeds per capsule (8.88 and 9 Nos.) and 1000 seed weight (7.441 Maximum seed and stover yield of linseed i.e., 1090 & 2158 kg ha -1 and 1107 &2183 kg ha -1 were registered with 125% RDF imposed to Kharif black gram, while statistical at par to 100% RDF imposed to black gram. Both were significantly superior over control and 75% RDF to black gram. This might be due to better availability of nutrients to linseed during Rabi resulting in better growth. which resulted in adequate supply of photosynthates for development of sink under higher level of fertilizer. Positive response of inorganic fertilizers has also been reported by Patel (2012) [21] and Bharat et al. (2013) [4] . FYM applied to preceding black gram significantly influenced the seed and stover yield of succeeding linseed. The treatment receiving FYM @5t ha -1 to preceding black gram recorded significantly maximum seed and stover yield of linseed i.e.,1028 &2061 kg ha -1 and 1038 &2076 kg ha -1 during 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively, which was 15.51&11.59% and 15.85 & 11.49% higher than no FYM applied to preceding black gram. This might be due to better portioning of photosynthates between source and sink led to greater assimilation of dry matter in fruiting parts resulted in improvement of yield. Residual effect of dual seed inoculation of preceding black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR or alone did not influence the seed and stover yield of linseed. Maximum seed and stover yields of linseed i.e., 988 & 1998 kg ha -1 and 997& 2013 kg ha -1 were registered with dual seed inoculation with Rhizobium + PGPR of preceding Kharif black gram during both consecutive years and this was fb seed inoculation with PGPR alone. Dual inoculation benefited both black gram and linseed crop by fixing atmospheric N and decomposition of leaf fall and roots of black gram increased the organic matter and thus enhances the availability of nutrients in the rhizosphere of itself as well as linseed while PGPR increases the accumulation and translocation of assimilates from source to sink.

Profitability

Economics of linseed was significantly affected by residual effect of different fertilizer and FYM levels applied to preceding black gram, while seed inoculation of black gram with biofertilizers has no significant residual effect on economics of linseed during both years of experimentation. Results summarized in Table 4 revealed that 125% RDF imposed to black gram recorded highest value of gross return of linseed (₹46331 ha -1 & ₹48119 ha -1 ), net return (₹26902 ha -1 & ₹28690 ha -1 ) and B:C ratio (1.38 & 1.48), respectively during both consecutive years of experimentation. This treatment was statistically at par to 100% RDF applied to black gram i.e., gross return (₹43503 ha -1 & ₹45326 ha -1 ), net return (₹24074 ha -1 & ₹25807 ha -1 ) and B:C ratio (1.24 & 1.33), respectively during both consecutive years. This is due to higher grain yield with low input cost. The results are in conformity with the findings of EI-Nagdy et al. (2010) [7] and Meena et al. (2011) [16] . Application of FYM to preceding black gram significantly influenced the economics of succeeding linseed. The treatment receiving FYM @5t ha -1 to preceding black gram recorded significantly maximum gross return, net return and B:C ratio of Rabi linseed i.e., ₹43680 ha -1 & ₹45142 ha -1 and ₹24251 ha -1 & ₹25713 ha -1 and 1.25 &1.32 during 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively, this return was higher due to higher seed and stover yield over no FYM applied to preceding Kharif black gram. Though cost of cultivation with FYM was more, but overall productivity increases with FYM @5t ha -1 than no FYM, which tends to fetched maximum returns.

Residual effect of dual seed inoculation of preceding black gram with Rhizobium + PGPR or alone did not influence the economics of linseed. Maximum gross return, net return and B:C ratio of Rabi linseed i.e., ₹42005 ha -1 & ₹43401ha -1 and ₹22576 ha -1 & ₹23972 ha -1 and 1.16 &1.23 during 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively, were registered with dual seed inoculation with Rhizobium + PGPR of preceding Kharif black gram during both consecutive years and this was fb seed inoculation of Kharif black gram with PGPR alone. This might be due to maximum recovery of nutrients with dual seed inoculation with Rhizobium + PGPR, with less expenditure. Proper integration of inorganics, organics and bio-fertilizers in preceding Kharif black gram has beneficial residual effect on Rabi linseed crop. It increases the availability of nutrients to both black gram as well as succeeding linseed crop, resulted in better absorption, translocation and assimilation of nutrients with better portioning of photosynthates between source and sink.

Conclusion

It may be concluded that residual effect of integrated application of NPK and S @ 125%RDF (RDF: 20:40:20:20 N: P2O5:K2O :S kg/ha) + FYM @5t ha -1 and dual seed inoculation with Rhizobium + PGPR applied to preceding Kharif black gram and application of NPK and S@ 50% RDF (RDF: 40:30:20:20 N: P2O5:K2O :S kg/ha) to succeeding Rabi linseed gave maximum growth attributes, yield and economic returns of linseed, but statistically at par to 100 % RDF along with FYM @5t ha -1 and dual seed inoculation with Rhizobium + PGPR applied to preceding Kharif black gram and application of NPK and S@ 50% RDF (RDF: 40:30:20:20 N: P2O5:K2O :S kg/ha) to succeeding Rabi linseed and thus cut down the 50% RDF of linseed. Residual effect of integrated nutrient management practiced in black gram is profitable for linseed in black gramlinseed cropping system of Plateau region of Jharkhand.

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