Energetics and Economics of Rabi Maize as Influenced by Smart Nutrient Management Under South Odisha Conditions

Masina Sairam; Sumit Ray; Tanmoy Shankar; Arunabha Pal; Karthika Vishnu Priya; Sagar Maitra

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2024.v44spl.019

Authors

Masina Sairam Department of Agronomy and Agroforestry, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761 211, Odisha, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1031-2919
Sumit Ray Department of Agronomy and Agroforestry, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761 211, Odisha, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3405-1087
Tanmoy Shankar Department of Agronomy and Agroforestry, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761 211, Odisha, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1888-9912
Arunabha Pal Department of Soil Science, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761 211, Odisha, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2654-0489
Karthika Vishnu Priya School of Agriculture, SR University, Warangal -506371, Telangana, India https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4622-4708
Sagar Maitra Department of Agronomy and Agroforestry, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761 211, Odisha, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8210-1531

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52756/ijerr.2024.v44spl.019

Keywords:

Maize, Energy, Economics, Cost of cultivation, Precision nutrient management, Nano nitrogen, agricultural sustainability

Abstract

Cereal crop cultivation is one of the essential agricultural practices adopted worldwide to feed human beings, providing dietary energy and food security. Maize is important in different cereal crops' areas, production, and productivity. In high-input-demanding crops like maize, it is mandatory to evaluate the energy input and output along with the economics of the study for better optimization of resources and efficient management of inputs in maize cultivation. The present study was conducted at the Postgraduate Research Farm of Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India, for two consecutive years during the Rabi season (November-March) of 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment was carried out in brown forest soil, sandy loam in texture and a Randomized Complete Block Design with 13 treatments, and each treatment was replicated thrice. The treatments comprise various graded fertilizer levels, precision nitrogen management treatments, decision support systems-based nutrient management and nano nitrogen treatment. The results revealed that among the nutrient management treatments, the highest input energy (21546.8 MJ ha^-1) was recorded in the treatment T₄: 150% RDF. In terms of output energy and net energy, the highest values were recorded in the treatments T₁₀: CCM-based sufficiency index at 90%-95% and T₄: 150% RDF. The energy use efficiency and energy productivity were recorded as the highest values in the treatments T₉: CCM-based sufficiency index at 85%-90%. Further, among the nutrient management treatments, the maximum cost of cultivation was incurred in the treatment T₄: 150% RDF and it was closely followed by T₉: CCM-based sufficiency index at 85%-90% and T₁₀: CCM-based sufficiency index at 90%-95%. The highest gross and net returns were recorded in the treatment T₁₀: CCM-based SI at 90%-95%. In the case of the benefit-cost ratio, the highest value (1.29 and 1.24 for two consecutive years of the study, respectively) was recorded in the treatment T₁₀: CCM-based sufficiency index at 90%-95%. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of precision nutrient management through the CCM Sufficiency index in Rabi maize cultivation under South Odisha for more sustainability and productivity with the highest profitability.

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