Integrated Nutrient Management for Tomato-Okraindian Spinach Cropping Pattern

Abstract

Field experiment on Tomato-Okra-Indian spinach cropping pattern was     conducted at a farmers homestead of Tangail (AEZ 8) during 2007-08 and 2008-09 to find out a suitable combination of chemical fertilizers and organic manure for sustainable crop yield. There were 5 treatments comprising different percentages of the recommended chemical fertilizers (RCF) with two levels (0 and 5 t/ha) for tomato and three levels (0, 2.5 and 5 t/ha) for okra each of poultry manure and cowdung. No organic manure was used for the third crop Indian Spinach. The treatments were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replications. An amount of 75% dose of RCF (N₁₅₀P₄₀K₈₀S₂₀Zn₂B₁ kg/ha) along with poultry manure @ 5 t/ha appeared as the best suited combination providing tomato yield 95.3 t/ha and 88.2 t/ha for the first year and  second year, respectively. Again, an amount of 75% dose of RCF(N₁₂₀P₃₅K₇₀S₁₅Zn₂B₁ kg/ha) along with poultry manure @ 2.5 t/ha appeared as the best package providing the highest okra yield (15.03 t/ha and 12.98 t/ha). The highest yield (36.3 t/ha and 33.7 t/ha for the first and second year, respectively) of Indian Spinach was recorded from (75% recommended N + PM residue), which was statistically identical with (100 % recommended N), but significantly higher over rest of the treatments. Poultry manure performed better over cow dung. A package of 75% recommended chemical fertilizer along with 5 t PM/ha appeared as the best suited combination providing higher yield and economic return.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v36i4.11747

Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 36(4): 595-603, December 2011