Evaluation of Natural Farming Practices in Cotton and Rabi Sorghum in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out at Institute of Organic Farming (AI-NPOF), newlineUniversity of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during 2020-21 and 2021-22 on medium newlineblack clay loam soil to study the effect of different farming practices on cotton and rabi newlinesorghum. Cotton (Variety: CO-14) and rabi sorghum (Variety: SPV 2217) were grown newlinein two different plots during kharif and rabi season, respectively under rainfed newlinecondition. The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design with newlineeleven treatments and three replications. Treatment details: T1: Control, T2: Natural newlineFarming (NF): Beejamrit (B) + Ghanjeevamrit (G) + Jeevamrit (J) + Mulching (M) + newlineIntercropping (I), T3: Natural Farming (NF): Mulching (M) + Intercropping (I), T4: newlineNatural Farming (NF): Ghanjeevamrit (G) + Jeevamrit (J) + Mulching (M) + newlineIntercropping (I), T5: Natural Farming (NF): Beejamrit (B) + Mulching (M) + newlineIntercropping (I), T6: Natural Farming (NF): Beejamrit (B) + Ghanjeevamrit (G) + newlineJeevamrit (J) + Intercropping (I), T7: Natural Farming (NF): Beejamrit (B) + newlineGhanjeevamrit (G) + Jeevamrit (J) + Mulching (M), T8: Organic farming (OF), T9: newlineIntegrated Nutrient Management- Natural Farming Plant Protection (INM-NFPP), T10: newlineIntegrated Nutrient Management- Conventional Farming Plant Protection (INM-CFPP) newlineand T11: Recommended Package of Practices (RPP). These treatments were common for newlineboth the experiments. In cotton, green gram (Variety: DGGV-2) and in rabi sorghum, newlinechickpea (Variety: JG 11) were intercropped in respective treatments. newlineIn cotton, RPP recorded significantly higher seed cotton yield (1047 kg ha-1) and newlinenet returns (` 35639 ha-1) compared to organic and natural farming practices and was on newlinepar with INM-CFPP (1007 kg ha-1 and ` 28992 ha-1, respectively). However, organic newlinefarming (895 kg ha-1) and INM-NFPP (929 kg ha-1) recorded significantly higher seed newlinecotton yield than NF: B+G+J+M+I (796 kg ha-1). Significantly higher net returns was newlinerecorded with NF: B+G+J+M+I (` 31022 ha-1) compared to organic farming (` 12865 newlineha-1) and was on par