INFLUENCE OF LEGUME-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS ON CROP YIELD AND NUTRIENT-UPTAKE IN TYPIC USTOCHREPT

A field experiment was conducted on a loamy sand soil to study relativ e efficiency of different cropping systems, viz rice (Oryza sativa L.) -wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.)-prickly sesban [Ses bania cannabina (Retz.) Pers.; syn S. aculeata Pers. var cannabina Bak er], rice-field pea (Pisum sativum L. sensu lato) and pigeonpea [Cajan us cajan (L.) Millsp.]-wheat, compared with rice-wheat-fallow. Eight t reatments comprised 4 cropping systems and 3 fertilizer levels. Cultiv ation of field pea and pigeonpea before rice and wheat in a cropping s ystem showed fertilizer economy of 25% [N30P3.3K6.2 (30 kg N/ha, 3.3 k g P/ha, 6.2 kg K/ha for rice and N30P6.6K6.2 (30 kg N/ha 6.6 kg Pma, 6 .2 kg K/ha) for wheat] of the recommended N, P and K both for rice (N1 20P13.1K24.8) and wheat (N120P26.2K24.8) crops. Green-manuring with pr ickly sesban in rice economized 50% NPK fertilizers (N60P6.6K12.5) for rice and increased the grain yield of wheat by 0.25 tonne/ha in rice- wheat-prickly sesban (green-manure) cropping system. In general uptake of N, P and K by rice at its different growth periods was higher in r ice-wheat-prickly sesban (green-manure), followed by rice-field pea an d rice-wheat systems. However, higher uptake of N, P and K by wheat at its different growth periods was observed in ; pigeonpea-wheat, follo wed by rice-wheat-prickly sesban (green-manure) and rice-wheat systems .