Effect of sowing dates and nitrogen levels on maize-vegetable pea-wheat crop rotation in net return and benefit: cost ratio

A field experiment was conducted during two years 2005–06 to 2006–07 at C.S.A. university of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur under cropping system Research Project in Maize- vegetable pea-wheat crop rotation. The results revealed that vegetable pea sown on 20 October gave highest green pods yield (54.3 q/ha) while wheat crop sown after harvest of Pea sown on 30th September produced highest (36.6 q/ha) grain yield. However, Maize grain yield was not affected significantly due to sowing dates for pea crop. The N applied for pea crop @ 80 kg/ha have maximum pod yield of pea and grain yield of wheat, but in case of maize, grain yield was not affected significantly due to nitrogen application in pea. Interection effect of sowing dates and nitrogen levels in pea was not observed significant on green pod yield of pea, grain yield of wheat and grain yield of maize crop respectively. The highest net profit of crop rotation (Rs. 54,225/ha) was calculated under 30 September date of pea sowing and 80 kg N/ha, while B:C ratio of the rotation was also maximum under this treatment. However, it was also observed that under 30th September sowing of pea more than 40 kg N/ha application is profitable while under 10th October or later sowing of pea crops limiting nitrogen application upto 40 kg N/ha will be beneficial.