evaluation of organic inputs on productivity of maize vegetable amaranth tomato vegetable cowpea under conventional and drip irrigated conditions

Abstract

Organic farming is a sustainable system that avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides newlineand raising the crop with the use of organic inputs. It is one among the broad spectrum of newlineproduction methods that are supportive of the environment. Use of high analysis chemical newlinefertilizers in imbalanced and indiscriminate manner has developed many problems like decline in newlinesoil organic matter, increased soil salinity/sodicity, deterioration in the quality of crop produce, newlineincrease in hazardous pests/diseases and increase in soil pollutants (Lu et al., 2015). Continuous newlineuse of inorganic fertilizers not only brought about loss of vital soil fauna and flora but also newlineresulted in loss of secondary and micronutrients. In view of these facts, supply of all the plant newlinenutrients has been advocated through organic sources only (Ramesh et al., 2010). newlineMaize or Indian corn (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in global newlineagricultural economy both as a food and feed for animal. Among the different factors influencing newlinethe productivity of maize, water and nutrients occupy prime position. Maize crop responds very newlinewell to water and nutrient application. It is one of the amenable crops for drip irrigation system, newlinewhich is an efficient method of irrigation. Inter-row space in maize during the initial slow growth newlineperiod provides ample scope to cultivate the compatible crop in between two rows of maize and newlineincrease the productivity per unit area and time. newlineCropping systems promoted on-farm diversity and strengthened the ecological base of newlineagriculture. The synergism and complementarities associated with crop rotations, intercropping newlineand multispecies cropping contributed to resource conservation and increase the productivity of newlinethe farming unit. The direct and indirect effect of synergism, if properly utilized, would newlineminimize the use of chemical inputs in agriculture and sustain economic levels of crop newlineproduction without polluting the nature ( Jensen et al., 2015). The selection of crop sequences for newlinemaximum productivity