In the diversification era of agriculture, growing of medicinal crops in the existing cropping systems would be more
appropriate to boost up farmers income and fulfill the nation’s domestic and export demand. The global demand of such products is rising substantially, therefore, appropriate agro-techniques need to be developed and standardized. Nutrient management particularly in cropping system is an ideal and most important crop production technology but proven research findings are very few for medicinal plants which can be adopted. Mishra (1995) advocated the advantages of nutrient management in cropping system as compared to individual crop basis. Therefore, present research work in medicinal plant based cropping system is proposed to select crops in cropping system which are sustained nutritional status of soil for longer time.
MATERIALS AND METHODS : Two years field experiments were conducted to evaluate suitability of medicinal plant based cropping systems for sustainable soil status at Crop Research Centre of G. B. Pant Univ. of Agric. & Tech., Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar, Uttaranchal. The experimental soil was clay loam in texture and classified as Aquic Hapludoll (Despandey
et al., 1971). The experiments were conducted in a Randomized Block Design with 7 tretments and four replications. The treatments, i.e., cropping systems, consists were rice-fenugreek; rice-buck wheat-moong; rice-european dill; rice-wheat; ocimum-wheat; brahmi-wheat and ocimum-lentil. Available nutrient status was determined before and after harvesting of crops in each cropping system by standard procedures.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION : Effect of cropping systems on soil test values, i.e. on status of available N, P and K after final harvesting of all the crops of the system in both the experiments are given in table 1. The figures in the table are mean of four replications in both the years. Organic carbon per cent (index of available N) showed non significant effect by different cropping systems in both the years. Available phosphorus significantly lowered in rice – wheat cropping system as compared to medicinal plant based cropping systems in both the years. Brahmi – wheat and Rice – European dill have higher value of available P as compared to other medicinal plant based cropping systems. Value of available potassium was also recorded lower in rice – wheat cropping system as compared to medicinal plant based cropping systems. Highest value of available potassium was observed in Brahmi – wheat cropping system. Though the effect of available potassium registered non significant on cropping system in II year experiment. The enhancement of fertility status in brahmi-wheat cropping system and other medicinal plant based cropping systems was might be due to low requirement of nutrients by medicinal plants as comparison to cereals based cropping system. Mishra (1995) advocated the advantages of nutrient management in cropping system
Change in soil test value i.e. available nutrient status before start of experiment I (initial value) and harvesting of all the crops of system (final value) are given in table-2. Rice – wheat system showed, decrease in organic carbon (%), available P and K (kg ha-1). Potassium level decreased in all cropping systems but this decreased was less in Brahmi – wheat system. There was no specific trend in case of available phosphorus. Phosphorus level was slightly increase in some medicinal plant based cropping systems, however, it was decrease in rice-wheat cropping system.
REFERENCE :
Deshpande, S.B.; Feheronbacher, J.B. and Roy, B.W. 1971. Mollisol of
tarai region of uttar pradesh, Northern India, 2. Genesis and classification Geoderma 6 : 195-21.
Mishra, B. 1995. In : Integrated nutrient management in intensive cropping systems,ICAR Summer Institute, Pantnagar, pp. 1-7.
Table 1. Effect of cropping systems on soil fertility status
Cropping system
Soil fertility status
I year (2000-2001)
(Expt. I)
II year (2001-2002)
(Expt. II)
O C
%
N (kg/ha)
P (kg/ha)
K (kg/ha)
O C
%
P (kg/ha)
K (kg/ha)
Rice – Fenugreek
0.76
228.75
38.63
174.40
1.06
40.58
237.40
Rice – Buck wheat – Moong
0.82
231.25
37.98
159.10
1.0
40.78
236.90
Rice – European dill
0.80
226.25
42.53
161.85
1.08
41.64
246.10
Rice – Wheat
0.79
207.50
33.71
145.60
1.10
34.29
209.60
Ocimum – Wheat
0.84
216.25
36.81
165.40
0.98
39.18
214.60
Brahmi – Wheat
0.86
220.00
43.21
195.87
1.10
43.88
243.60
Ocimum – Lentil
0.85
236.25
40.43
184.70
0.94
39.74
236.30
C D (P = 0.05)
NS
12.56
3.05
27.32
NS
2.95
NS
Table 2. Change in soil test values under different cropping system
Cropping system
Soil test value
O. C. %
P (kg / ha)
K (kg / ha)
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Initial
Final
Rice – Fenugreek
0.85
0.76
38.33
38.63
227.00
174.4
Rice – Buck wheat – Moong
0.83
0.82
38.52
37.98
247.75
159.1
Rice – European dill
0.89
0.80
38.36
42.53
242.00
161.85
Rice – Wheat
0.89
0.79
37.96
33.71
240.75
145.60
Ocimum – Wheat
0.91
0.84
39.76
36.81
231.00
165.40
Brahmi – Wheat
0.86
0.86
38.53
43.21
231.00
195.87
Ocimum – Lentil
0.88
0.85
40.03
40.43
235.00
184.70
*Dr. Lal Singh, Asstt. Prof., Division of Agronomy, SKUAST-K, Shalimar, Srinagar – 191121 (J&K)