Influence of conservation tillage and nutrient management practices on performance of rainfed finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) in Alfisols

A field experiment was consecutively conducted in two seasons during kharif 2014 and 2015 at AICRP for Dryland Agriculture centre, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka on Alfisols (sandy clay loam) to study the influence of conservation tillage and nutrient management practices on yield, soil fertility, economics and energetics of rainfed finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.). Conventional tillage recorded significantly higher grain and straw yields (3041 and 4687 kg/ha), rain water use efficiency (4.78 kg/ha-mm), total N, P and K uptake (67.89, 21.15 and 55.26 kg/ha, respectively), nutrient use efficiency with higher net energy returns, energy use efficiency and energy productivity, along with higher net returns and B: C ratio (93991 MJ/ha, 16.38 and 0.497 kg/MJ, 54082/ha and 3.77 respectively,) as compared to minimum and zero tillage. Among different nutrient management practices, application of 100% recommended NPK + 7.5 t FYM/ha has given significantly higher grain and straw yields (3030 and 4685 kg/ha), rain water use efficiency (4.76 kg/ha-mm), total N, P and K uptake (67.22, 20.72 and 53.71 kg/ha, respectively), nutrient use efficiency with higher soil available nutrients after harvest, higher net energy returns, energy use efficiency and energy productivity along with higher net returns and B: C ratio (92650 MJ/ha, 13.62 and 0.413 kg/MJ, 50228/ha and 3.14, respectively) as compared to other nutrient management practices.