Response of farming studies in rainfed finger millet (Eleusine coracana) under erratic monsoon conditions of north western agroclimatic zone of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the rainy season or kharif of 1999 and 2000 to study the effect of sowing time with different varieties and moisture conservation practices on growth and yield of rainfed finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.]. In both the years the dry spell occurred for 15 to 30 days after normal sowing time for rainfed finger millet. The long duration Paiyur 1 finger millet (1 10 days) sown during normal sowing time recorded low mean grain yield (1,594 kglha). But when sowing was done after initial dry spell with DPI 201 1 ( Dharmapuri ) finger millet (95 days) a good grain yield (2,415 kglha) was obtained. Anlong the management practices studied, incorporation of composted choir pith along with recommended inorganic fertilizers recorded the highest mean grain yield (2,222 kglha), followed by the treatment of soil mulch with blade harrow with recommended inorganic fertilizers (2,100 kglha). Plant height, number of productive tillers, net income and benefit : cost ratio showed similar trend as that of gain yield.