Productivity and economics of soybean-wheat cropping system under different levels of NPK at farmer’s field in different blocks of Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive years of 2007-08 and 2008-09 at Farmer’s Field in 5 blocks of Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh to study the effect of different levels of NPK on productivity and economics in terms of net monetary return and B:C ratio in soybean-wheat cropping system. The application of recommended doses of NPK (T5) exhibited their superiority by recording higher grain yield of both soybean and wheat crops over rest of the treatments during both years of study. The recommended doses of NPK (T5) increased the soybean yield over control (T1) by 71.2 % and 48.6 % in 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively and wheat by 35.2 % and 33.9 % in 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively. The mean wheat equivalent yield (WEY) was the highest (57.9 q/ha) with the application of recommended doses of NPK (T5) in both soybean and wheat crops followed by T3 (52.1 q/ha), T4 (48.5 q/ha), T2 (45.4 q/ha) and the lowest in T1 (40.5 q/ha). Similarly, the highest NMR of Rs. 35475/ha and Rs. 50978/ha during 2007-08 and 2008-09 was recorded with application of recommended doses of NPK (T5). The mean NMR per rupee invested (B:C) was higher (1.55) when crops were fertilized with recommended doses of NPK (T5) and the lowest (1.16) was recorded when no fertilizers were applied to both the crops (T1). Additional investment of Rs. 4854/ha in T5 treatment, exhibited the additional NMR of Rs. 16567/ha over control (T1). So the judicious use of money in right direction can pay positive results in terms of yield as well as additional NMR/ha.