Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
T6-08R-1518
Assessment of Profitability and Sustainability of Sunflower as a
Component in Emerging Cropping Systems of Northern Karnataka
M.R. Umesh*, U.K. Shanwad, Vikas V. Kulkarni, Vijayakumar N Ghante,
N. Poornima, Ananda, and Anand S. Kamble
University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur-584104 Karnataka, India
*mrumehsagri@gmail.com
Intensifying cropping systems can be achieved by increasing the spatial and temporal
arrangement of different compatible crops. Within field temporal heterogeneity can be
achieved by growing several crops in sequences differing in the patterns of resource use. In
Northern Karnataka pigeonpea and Bt-cotton are predominant crops. These are increasingly
used as alternative crops to sunflower that dominate irrigated regions of Northern Karnataka.
Shift from sunflower (22.6 lakhs ha in 1992 to 2.56 lakhs ha in 2020) to alternate cropping
systems may have significant effect on oil production in the region. To intensify the sunflowerbased
cropping system field trial was conducted with an objective to assess sunflower crop as
a component under crop diversification with new/emerging cropping systems in terms of
system productivity and profitability. Sunflower was compared in a yearly sequence with
maize, bajra and soybean compared with sunflower-chickpea system.
Methodology
A 3-year field experiment was conducted in fixed plots of medium to deep Vertisols at
University of Agriculture Sciences, Raichur Karnataka. During rainy season maize hybrid (NK
6240), bajra (cv. MBP-2) and soybean (DSb-21) were grown in addition to sunflower hybrid
(RSFH-1887) whereas in rabi, sunflower and chickpea (cv. JG-11) were grown in undisturbed
plots. For rabi crops, chemical fertilizers were applied as per soil test crop response (STCR)
target yield @3 t/ha, 50% STCR and compared with regional fertilizer recommendation (RDF)
(90:90:60 kg NPK/ha). Soil smaples were analysed for NPK status after harvest of Kharif crops.
Based on sol test values STCR equation adopted for rabi sunflower is FN= 8.38T-0.57 SN;
FP2O5= 8.05T-6.00 SP2O5; FK2O= 9.87 T-0.47 SK2O and STCR target yield equation for
chickpea FN = 5.35T-0.22 SN- 0.098ON; FP2O5 =3.71T-1.16 SP- 0.15OP; FK2O = 8.32T-0.43
SK- 0.22OK wherein target yield (T) of 30 q/ha is common for both the crops. In all the years,
Kharif crops were sown in July and rabi crops were sown in October/November after harvest
of kharif crops.
Results
The results of the study has showed that maize-sunflower system was out yielded in terms of
system sunflower crop equivalent yield (4355 kg/ha), system returns (Rs. 194713/ha) and
Institutional and policy innovations for accelerated and enhanced impacts
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