Author(s): P. RAY, P. K. ROUL, T. R. MOHANTY, K. N. MISHRA, S. DASH, A. DASH AND K.C. SAHOO

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station (Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology), Kendujhar to study the effect of tillage and cropping practices on yield, economics and soil fertility status in maize based cropping systems during the rainy seasons of 2011 and post rainy season of 2011-12. Maize grown with cowpea under minimum tillage recorded 50.1 q ha-1 of grain yield which was comparable to sole maize grown under conventional tillage (52.1q ha-1). Growth of cowpea inter-cropped with maize under conventional tillage was invariably superior to minimum tillage. Maize + cowpea grown under minimum tillage followed by toria as cover crop produced maize equivalent yield of 99.08 q ha-1 which was at par with maize + cowpea under conventional tillage followed by toria as cover crop (101.33 q ha-1). Maize + cowpea intercropping system either under conventional tillage or under minimum tillage was superior to growing sole maize under either tillage situations. Toria as post rainy season cover crop performed better than horsegram or no cover crop with respect to economic parameters. There was improvement in soil physico- chemical parameters viz.,BD. pH, organic carbon, available N,P and K by minimum tillage and cover cropping, irrespective of growing maize or maize+cowpea.

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