Effect of preceding crops on the nitrogen requirement of pearl millet and phosphorus requirement of chickpea

Abstract

A 2-year field study indicated that pearl millet yielded more when sown after fallow, cow pea and green gram than after maize. Preceding fallow, cow pea and green gram reduced the nitrogen requirement of pearl millet by 40 kg/ha compared with maize. Pearl millet responded linearly up to the highest rate of nitrogen (80 kg/ha). N applied to millet had no residual effect on the subsequent crop of chickpea. The chickpea yield followed the order fallow > green gram ^ cow pea > maize. Chickpea responded to phosphorus up to 40 kg/ha. Green gram-pearl millet-chickpea proved the most profitable cropping sequence. Continuous cropping and application of nitrogen and phosphorus improved the organic carbon and available phosphorus but decreased the available potassium status of the soil.

Effect of preceding fodder crops on the nitrogen requirement of tall wheat

“…Wheat sown after fallow, cowpea and cluster bean with 20 kg N/ha produced similar grain yields to wheat sown after maize, pearl millet and sorghum with 60 kg N/ha, indicating that preceding crops left residual fertility equivalent to 40 kg N/ha. These results corroborate the findings of Narwal et al (1981), Doughton & Mackenzie (1984), Velayudham & Seth (1986) and Narwal & Malik (1987). When no nitrogen was applied, wheat yields followed the order fallow ^ cluster bean ^ cowpea > maize ^ sorghum > pearl millet, showing that the residual effect of cowpea on wheat yields was similar to that of cluster bean, while pearl millet was the most exhaustive.…”

“…Sorghum produced the greatest and cowpea the least yields. These results agree with those of Narwal & Malik (1987). The fodder yields of cluster bean, maize and pearl millet were similar to each other in 1983, while in 1984 maize and pearl millet yielded more fodder than cluster bean.…”

“…This was probably because of the higher nitrogen status of the soil after the fallow season and the legumes than after the nonlegumes (Tripathi 1979;Ahlawat et al 1981). The higher yields of wheat after fallow could be due to accumulation of nitrogen equivalent to 40 kg/ha of fertilizer (Srivastava et al 1974;Narwal et al 1981;Narwal & Malik 1987). The preceding cowpea and cluster bean perhaps contributed 30-60 kg N/ha to the succeeding wheat crop (Srivastava et al 1974;Lai et al 1978;Singh et al 1983;Narwal & Malik 1987).…”

“…The higher yields of wheat after fallow could be due to accumulation of nitrogen equivalent to 40 kg/ha of fertilizer (Srivastava et al 1974;Narwal et al 1981;Narwal & Malik 1987). The preceding cowpea and cluster bean perhaps contributed 30-60 kg N/ha to the succeeding wheat crop (Srivastava et al 1974;Lai et al 1978;Singh et al 1983;Narwal & Malik 1987). Wheat yielded less when sown after maize, pearl millet and sorghum because first, these fodder crops substantially depleted the soil nitrogen compared with fallow and legumes, secondly, after harvest the stubbles of nonlegumes immobilized the soil nitrogen for a longer period owing to their low N content (Power et al 1986) and thus wheat suffered from nitrogen deficiency in the early stages.…”

“…In areas of restricted water supply, quick-growing and short-cycle (60-70 days) fodder crops could be grown during the rainy season; such fodder crops may require less water than the long-cycle (100-110 days) grain crops. The high cost of nitrogenous fertilizers has also led to an interest in effecting N economy by the inclusion of legumes in multiple cropping systems (Narwal & Malik 1987). Little information is available regarding the N requirement of C306 sown after various fodder crops of this region.…”