Resource use efficiency of transgenic cotton and peanut intercropping system using modified fertilization technique

Abstract

<span>Of the several mechanisms that can bring about efficient resource use, the most widelyapplicable one is intercropping systems that can make better use of resources. The aim of this<br /><span>study was to evaluate resource capture and resource use efficiency in transgenic cotton-peanut<br /><span>intercropping system and in their respective sole crops with using 25-50% substitution of<br /><span>recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) of cotton through farmyard manure (FYM) along with<br /><span>100 % RDN through urea and control (0N). Apparent crop water productivity, nutrient use<br /><span>efficiency, economic returns and modern intercropping indices (system productivity index,<br /><span>actual yield loss, intercropping advantage index, nitrogen stress factor, etc.) were measured for<br /><span>making better understanding of resource use efficiency. Comparisons of intercropped peanut<br /><span>with sole peanut were emphasized because of shrinking area of peanut in the south-east Asian<br /><span>region represents a threat to agricultural system sustainability. Cotton + peanut intercropping<br /><span>system resulted in improved water productivity (19%), nutrient use efficiency (15-20%) and<br /><span>monetary advantage index (16,709) as measured with modern tools of intercropping indices<br /><span>compared with sole crops of cotton and peanut. Peanut cultivated as sole crop attained the least<br /><span>resource productivity in terms of apparent crop water productivity (0.71 kg m<span>-3<span>), nutrient use<br /><span>efficiency (4.47 kg grain kg N<span>-1<span>) and total factor productivity (0.07). Among fertility levels,<br /><span>substitution of 25% RDN of cotton through FYM maintained higher apparent crop water<br /><span>productivity (17%), monetary advantage index (6%), system productivity index (9%) and<br /><span>nutrient use efficiencies (15-17%) over 100% RDN through urea only. This work provides basis<br /><span>for efficient resource use by peanut intercropping with cotton which simultaneously enhances<br /><span>domestic oilseed production and reduce import load of cooking oil without sacrificing the<br /><span>productivity of main crop of cotton in India and other cotton growing countries of the world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span></span></span></span>