Vol. 11, Special Issue 12 (2022)

The present study, titled " Response of green manuring, phosphorus and potash on growth, yield attributes and economics of bidi tobacco under middle Gujarat conditions” was carried out at Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat) during the kharif-Rabi season 2021-22. The soil of the experimental unit was loamy sand in texture with low in organic carbon (0.34%) and available nitrogen (173 kg/ha), medium in available phosphorus (36 kg/ha) and high in available potash (301 kg/ha) with pH 7.54 and EC 0.20 dS/m. The research comprised eight treatment combinations and four replications, and it was set up in a split plot design.

The details of treatments are as follows, T1 (Without Green manuring + 0 kg P₂O₅/ha + 0 kg K2O/ha), T2 (Without Green manuring + 0 kg P₂O₅/ha + 50 kg K₂O/ha), T₃ (Without Green manuring + 50 kg P₂O₅/ha + 0 kg K₂O/ha), T₄ (Without Green manuring + 50 kg P₂O₅/ha + 50 kg K₂O/ha), T₅ (With Green manuring + 0 kg P₂O₅/ha + 0 kg K₂O/ha), T₆ (With Green manuring + 0 kg P₂O₅/ha + 50 kg K₂O/ha), T₇ (With Green manuring + 50 kg P₂O₅/ha + 0 kg K₂O/ha), T₈ (With Green manuring + 50 kg P₂O₅/ha + 50 kg K₂O/ha). Recommended dose of nitrogen (180 kg/ha) was applied in four equal splits; 1st split as basal through Ammonium Sulphate and remaining three splits through Urea each at 30 days interval after transplanting.

Application of green manuring resulted into significantly higher growth and yield attributes like plant height (19.03, 103.83 and 117.82 cm), leaf length (40.78, 66.41, and 67.96 cm) at 45, 90 DATP and at harvest. Whereas, it failed to exert their significant effect on leaf width. The results of the experiments revealed that growth score (7.49), spangle score (3.58), dry weight per unit leaf area (10.13 mg/cm²) and cured leaf yield (4712 kg/ha) were also significantly affected due to green manuring.

Application of phosphorus @ 50 kg/ha resulted into significantly higher plant height (19.17, 100.75 and 117.95 cm at 45, 90 DATP and at harvest), leaf length (67.28 cm) at harvest. Whereas, it failed to exert their significant effect on leaf width. Results of the experiments revealed that growth score (7.28), spangle score (3.49), dry weight per unit leaf area (10.09 mg/cm²) and cured leaf yield (4545 kg/ha) were also significantly affected due to application of phosphorus @ 50 kg/ha. While in case of potash application, it failed to exert its significant effect on plant height, leaf length, leaf width, growth score, spangle score, dry weight per unit leaf area. But significantly higher cured leaf yield (4566 kg/ha) was observed under application of potash @ 50 kg/ha.

Interaction of green manuring with application of phosphorus exerted their significant effect on growth score, spangle score, dry weight per unit leaf area of bidi tobacco. Among all interactions, green manuring with application of phosphorus @ 50 kg/ha resulted in significantly the highest growth score, spangle score and dry weight per unit leaf area.

In case of economics, net realization was higher in green manuring (239755 ₹/ha) as compared to without green manuring (201060 ₹/ha) and BCR was recorded significantly higher (3.89) under green manuring as compared to no green manuring (3.64). economic study also revealed that, net realization was higher in case of application of phosphorous (229795 ₹/ha) and potash (231560 ₹/ha) as compared to no any application of phosphorus (211020 ₹/ha) and potash (209254 ₹/ha) and BCR was also higher under application of phosphorous (3.81) and potash (3.84) as compared to no application of phosphorous (3.72) and potash (3.69).