Abstract

Field experiment was conducted during kharif 2003-04 at Tamil Nadu Agriculture University Farm, Coimbatore to find out optimum nutrient requirement for groundnut +sunflower intercropping (3:1) system under irrigated conditions with replacement series. Treatments were consisted of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) to main crop alone, both main and intercrop separately, 50% reduction in RDF to intercrop and split application of nitrogen to intercrop and no fertilizer application to entire system. Results revealed that the growth, yield attributes and nutrient uptake of groundnut and the intercrop sunflower were improved when groundnut (17:34:54 kg ha-1) and sunflower (40:20:20: kg ha-1) were supplied with their recommended does of NPK and split application of nitrogen as 50% basal and 50% as top dressing on 21 DAS to sunflower. Significantly higher pod yield of groundnut and seed yield of sunflower were recorded with the application of recommended dose of fertilizer to both the crops separately with split application of nitrogen to sunflower on area basis compared to 50% reduction in the recommended dose of NPK to sunflower and unfertilized plots. Land equivalent ratio, crop equivalent yield and benefit cost ratio were higher under intercropping situation with the application of recommended dose of fertilizer to groundnut and split application of nitrogen with basal application of P and K to sunflower on area basis.

Keywords: Groundnut, nutrient management, sunflower, productivity