Yield of Summer Crops and Changes in Soil Nutrients as Influenced by Applied Fertilizers in Bidi Tobacco-Based Cropping System

Under bidi tobacco-based crop sequences, fertilizer application to summer pearlmillet and groundnut did not influence the yield significantly. Recommended dose of N and P to fodder sorghum produced the significantly highest yield. Fertilizer application to summer crops did not have significant residual effect on the yield of succeeding bidi tobacco. Fertilizer application to pearlmillet significantly increased available soil Nand P status after harvest of crop as compared to no fertilizer application during both the years. Similarly in groundnut, available soil P was increased significantly due to fertilizer application during both the years. Summer cropping had remarkable effect on the yield of bidi tobacco. Bidi tobacco-fallow sequence (T - F) maintained significantly higher available Nand P status over all other sequences after two years' cycle. Bidi tobacco-groundnut sequence remained at par with T-F with respect to available soil N. Monocropping of bidi tobacco showed its superiority. However, for efficient utilization of available resources, bidi tobacco-groundnut sequence should be preferred.