INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN RICE (ORYZA-SATIVA) AND ITS EFFECT ON WATER-USE AND MOISTURE-DEPLETION PATTERN OF FOLLOWING WINTER CROPS IN RAIN-FED AREAS

Production potential of 4 winter crops was studied under different com binations of residual organic and inorganic nutrients along with mulch ing and non-mulching treatments on medium land of subhumid, rainfed ea stern plateau area in New Barganda, district Giridih, Bihar. Winter cr ops grown in sequence on plots receiving 10 tomes farmyard manure + 20 kg N/ha in rice (Oryza sativa L.) during rainy season showed signific antly higher productivity. Mulching @ 7 tonnes/ha rice straw also resu lted in significantly higher yield. In terms of barley (Hordeum vulgar e L.) - equivalent yield, lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) (2.33 tonnes /ha) was significantly superior, whereas barley (1.30 tonnes/ha), was the lowest. Application of organic manures with inorganic fertilizer c ombination as also mulching showed decrease in water use and consequen tly better utilization efficiency of winter crops.