ECONOMICS OF MUNG BEAN (VIGNA RADIATA L.) SEED PRODUCTION UNDER INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the  summer seasons of 2024 and 2025 at the Research Farm of the Department of Agriculture, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management on productivity and profitability of mungbean varieties under North-Western Plain Zone conditions. The experimental site was located at 30°17′ N latitude and 77°03′ E longitude, at an altitude of 264 m above mean sea level. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications, comprising three mungbean varieties, namely MH 421, MH 1142 and MH 1762, and eight nutrient management treatments involving different combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, Rhizobium and nano fertilizers. The crop was sown during April in both years at a seed rate of 20 kg ha⁻¹ with 30 cm × 10 cm spacing. Seeds were inoculated with Rhizobium culture at 10 ml kg⁻¹ seed, and recommended agronomic practices were followed uniformly. The results showed significant variation in seed yield and economic returns among the varieties and nutrient management treatments. The treatment combination T6V2 (20 kg N + 60 kg P₂O₅ + Rhizobium with MH 1142) recorded the highest seed yield of 11.04 and 11.25 q ha⁻¹ during 2024 and 2025, respectively. It also recorded gross returns of ₹96,798.72 and ₹98,640.00 ha⁻¹, net returns of ₹58,906.78 and ₹60,748.06 ha⁻¹, and B:C ratios of 2.55 and 2.60, respectively. Across nutrient management treatments, T6 recorded the highest mean seed yield of 10.68 and 10.90 q ha⁻¹, with B:C ratios of 2.47 and 2.52 in the respective years, while MH 1142 showed comparatively higher mean productivity among the varieties. The cost of cultivation ranged from ₹36,412.20 ha⁻¹ under T1 to ₹38,417.20 ha⁻¹ under T8. The nano-fertilizer treatments T7 and T8 showed moderate economic performance. Overall, the integration of 20 kg N + 60 kg P₂O₅ with Rhizobium, particularly with MH 1142, improved mungbean productivity and profitability under the experimental conditions of the North-Western Plain Zone.