ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of nutrient management in grain amaranth and soybean intercropping system. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications during kharif 2023-24 in vertisols at the MARS, UAS, Dharwad. Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) was varied from 50 per cent to 100 per cent in soybean and from 75 per cent to 100 per cent in grain amaranth under grain amaranth + soybean intercropping system (2: 1) in replacement series. FYM 6 t ha-1 was applied to all the treatments. Sole grain amaranth and sole soybean with 100 per cent RDF recorded significantly higher grain yield of 1685 kg ha-1 and 2651 kg ha-1, respectively. Application of 100 per cent RDF to grain amaranth and 100 per cent RDF to soybean in intercropping system produced higher grain amaranth yield (1352 kg ha-1) and soybean yield (1435 kg ha-1) which was on par with grain amaranth 100 per cent RDF + soybean 75 per cent RDF. Grain amaranth equivalent yield (2012 kg ha-1), LER (1.40), System Productivity Index (2237), Monetary Advantage Index (54791) and uptake of N, P and K were higher in grain amaranth 100 per cent RDF + soybean 100 per cent RDF which was on par with grain amaranth 100 per cent RDF + soybean 75 per cent RDF. Application of 100 per cent RDF to both grain amaranth and soybean recorded significantly higher net returns ( 1,48,140 ha-1) and B-C ratio (3.55) was on par with grain amaranth 100 per cent RDF + soybean 75 per cent RDF with net returns ( 1,41,665 ha-1) and B-C ratio (3.47). It is concluded that application of 100 per cent RDF to grain amaranth and 75 per cent RDF to soybean was found better.