Profitability of Maize and Groundnut Crop Production under Different Irrigation Systems with Varied Irrigation and Nitrogen Level Application in Southern India

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of irrigation systems, irrigation, and N levels on the economics of maize and groundnut during 2021-22 and 2022-23 at the College Farm, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, PJT Agricultural University, Hyderabad. The experiment consisted of 18 treatment combinations (3 irrigation systems as the main plot, 3 irrigation levels as the sub-plot, and 2 nitrogen levels as the sub-sub-plot) in a split plot design replicated thrice. The experiment revealed that among irrigation systems, irrigation, and N levels in both crops (maize and groundnut) significantly higher gross returns, net returns, and BCR were recorded with M2 (sub-surface irrigation system), S1 (1.2 Epan; IW/CPE) and N1 (100 percent RDN). In both crops, the interaction between irrigation system and irrigation levels (M x S) revealed significantly higher returns and BCR with sub-surface drip irrigation levels@ 1.2 Epan & 0.9 Epan ratios (M2S1 and M2S2) followed by surface drip irrigation levels @ 1.2 Epan & 0.9 Epan ratios (M1S1 and M1S2), surface irrigation @ 1.2 IW/CPE ratio (M3S1). In contrast, surface irrigation @ 0.6 IW/CPE ratio (M3S3) resulted in the least returns and BCR during both the years. The interaction effects of irrigation systems and N levels (M x N), irrigation, and N levels (S x N) were non-significant in the groundnut crop whereas they were significant in maize crop. The M2N1 recorded significantly higher mean gross returns (₹. 1,46,852 ha-1), net returns (₹. 90,960 ha-1), and BCR (2.62) whereas M3N2 recorded the lowest mean gross return (₹. 97,052 ha-1), net return (₹. 45,305 ha-1) and BCR (1.87). Among S x N interaction effects, the S1N1 (1.2 Epan; IW/CPE with 100 percent RDN) resulted in significantly higher gross returns (₹. 1,44,385 ha-1), net returns (₹. 89,256 ha-1) and BCR (2.61) followed by S2N1. In contrast, S3N2 resulted in significantly least returns and BCR. The interaction effects of irrigation systems, irrigation, and N levels (M x S x N) were non-significant in the groundnut crop while showing a significant impact on the economics of maize. The sub-surface irrigation system (M2) with 1.2 Epan (S1) and 100 percent RDN (N1) recorded significantly higher mean gross returns (₹. 1,58,749 ha-1), net return (₹. 1,10,243 ha-1) and BCR (2.82) followed by M2S2N1 (₹. 1,56,106 ha-1, ₹. 1,14,542 ha-1 and 2.79), M1S1N1 and M1S2N1 while M3S3N2 (surface irrigation system with 0.6 IW/CPE and 75 per cent RDN) recorded least mean gross returns (₹. 65,253 ha-1), net returns (₹. 14,106 ha-1) and BCR (1.28) thus making it the least remunerative among all treatment combinations studied.