Table 2.
Effect of crop establishment system and sulphur nutrition levels on yield attributes, yield and economics of pearl millet (mean of 2 years data).
| Treatment | Earheads/m Row | Earheads Length (cm) | Grain Weight/Earhead (g) | Test Weight (g) | Grain Yield (t/ha) | Stover Yield (t/ha) |
Harvest Index (%) | Cost of Cultivation (×103 ₹/ha) | Net Return (×103 ₹/ha) |
Benefit:Cost Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crop establishment systems | ||||||||||
| NTCRM | 16.06 | 29.33 | 19.50 | 8.48 | 2.37 | 7.66 | 23.61 | 25.18 | 56.50 | 2.24 |
| NoTill | 14.17 | 27.31 | 18.70 | 8.18 | 1.86 | 6.78 | 21.51 | 20.43 | 46.71 | 2.28 |
| ConvTill | 15.50 | 28.61 | 18.86 | 8.27 | 2.16 | 7.44 | 22.47 | 27.04 | 49.10 | 1.81 |
| SEm± | 0.37 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.17 | - | 0.34 | 0.02 |
| CD (p = 0.05) | 1.48 | 0.57 | 0.42 | 0.19 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.63 | - | 1.36 | 0.07 |
| S management strategies | ||||||||||
| Control | 13.11 | 26.76 | 16.39 | 7.65 | 1.82 | 6.50 | 21.74 | 22.85 | 42.21 | 1.86 |
| RDS | 17.11 | 29.81 | 20.42 | 8.62 | 2.38 | 7.83 | 23.24 | 25.60 | 56.82 | 2.24 |
| ATS 5 mL/L_Once | 14.78 | 27.51 | 18.57 | 8.23 | 2.00 | 7.00 | 22.16 | 23.57 | 47.45 | 2.03 |
| ATS 10 mL/L_Once | 15.00 | 28.14 | 19.47 | 8.36 | 2.14 | 7.36 | 22.49 | 23.95 | 51.47 | 2.17 |
| ATS 5 mL/L_Twice | 15.33 | 28.53 | 19.53 | 8.43 | 2.17 | 7.42 | 22.65 | 24.30 | 52.07 | 2.16 |
| ATS 10 mL/L_Twice | 16.11 | 29.74 | 19.73 | 8.56 | 2.28 | 7.66 | 22.90 | 25.05 | 54.62 | 2.20 |
| SEm± | 0.40 | 0.56 | 0.25 | 0.08 | 0.04 | 0.09 | 0.24 | - | 0.99 | 0.04 |
| CD (p = 0.05) | 1.56 | 1.67 | 0.73 | 0.24 | 0.10 | 0.26 | 0.69 | - | 2.88 | 0.12 |
₹ = Indian rupee. NTCRM, NoTill and ConvTill denote crop establishment systems (no tillage with crop residue mulching at 3 t/ha, no tillage and conventional tillage, respectively), and RDS, ATS 5 mL/L_once, ATS 10 mL/L_once, ATS 5 mL/L_twice and ATS 10 mL/L_twice indicate recommended dose of S at 30 kg/ha, one foliar application of ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) at 5 mL/L and 10 mL/L, respectively, at the 4–6-leaf stage and two foliar sprays of ATS at 5 mL/L and 10 mL/L, respectively, at 4–6-leaf stage and 30 days after first application.