Use of Lantana and Eupatorium as Green Manure in Rainfed Maize-Wheat System in North-West Himalayas

A field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur during kharif 2002 through rabi 2003–04 to evaluate chopped Lantana (Lantana camara L.) and Eupatorium (Eupatorium adenophorum Sprengel) alone or in combination with FYM to meet out the scarcity of fann yard manure for different levels of production of maize-wheat system. Fifteen treatments comprising combinations of five organic sources viz., OS₁: FYM @ 5 t/ha on dry weight basis, OS₁: Lantana, OS₁: Eupatorium, OS₁: FYM (2.5 Vha)+ Lantana and OS₁: FYM(2.5 t/ha) + Eupatoriurn (Lantana and Eupatorium were applied on N content basis to equate total N as in OS₁) and three fertility levels viz., 50, 100 and 150% of recommended (90 kg N, 40 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg K₂O/ha to rice) fertility levels were evaluated in kharif season. In rabi (120 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg K₂O/ha to wheat), the fertility levels were reversed i. e. plots receiving 50% in kharif (maize) were given 150% in rabi and vice versa. Averaged over the fertility levels, direct effect of application of 5 t FYM/ha on maize and residual effect of FYM on wheat recorded higher values of yield attributes, and of grain and straw yield of maize and wheat crops. Application of 2.5 t FYM/ha + 1.30t/ha Eupatorium (fresh weight) was the next best treatment to sustain the yield of cropping system at higher level. Application of 100% NPK to each crop was found essential instead of 50% NPK to maize followed by 150% NPK to wheat in sequence or vice versa.