Author(s): A. M. DEKA, H. KALITA, N. BORAH AND A. S. N. ZAMAN

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Shillongani, Nagaon, Assam during kharif, rabi and summer seasons in three crop sequence during 2014-15 and 2015-16 to study the effect of rice based cropping system on nutrient uptake and balance. The treatments of the experiment comprised three dates of Sali rice transplanting viz., 20 June, 5 July and 20 July and two methods of cultivation viz. conventional and SRI with four relay crops viz. lentil, pea, toria and niger. During summer, fodder maize and green gram in 1:1 row ratio was grown as intercrops in each plot. The soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture, acidic in reaction (pH 5.61), medium in available N (296 kg ha-1) and K2O (195 kg ha-1) and low in available P2O5 (21 kg ha-1). Rice transplanting on 20 June recorded significantly higher grain yield of rice, relay crops and summer intercrops. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) recorded significantly higher grain yield of rice (60.34 q ha-1),relay and intercrops as compared to conventional method. The treatment combination “rice transplanted on 20 June under SRI method relayed by pea and followed by summer inter crops of fodder maize and green gram” was more efficient in showing better response to applied nutrients and thereby resulting in the highest N, P and K uptake and the lowest available N, P2O5 and K2O content in soil during the entire period of two-year experimentation.

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