• A. Murugan
• S. Ramesh
• P. Sudhakar
• S. Manimaran
• N. Ramesh

Field experiments were carried out at the Annamalai University, Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu to study the production efficiency and profitability of sunflower as influences by chemical fertilizer and organic manures for two season during Feb – May (2010) and July – Sep (2010). The experiment was laid out in a randomized black design with ten treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments were T1- control (no fertilizer and no organic manure), T2- recommended dose of nitrogen, T3 - 75% RDN +FYM @ 12.5 t ha-1, T4 - 75%RDN + pressmud @ 10 t ha-1, T5 - 75% RDN + sewage sludge @ 2.5t ha-1, T6 - 75% RDN + sugarcane trash compost @ t ha-1, T7 - 75% RDN + FYM vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1, T8 - 75% RDN + pressmud vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1, T9 -75% RDN + sewage sludge vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1, T10 – 75% RDN + sugarcane trash vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1. The results revealed that crop raised with pressmud vermicompost in two seasons had significant influence on the seed yield of sunflower. Plots received with pressmud vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 along with 75 % RDN registered higher values of itrogen use efficiency, apparent nitrogen recovery percentage and production efficiency. Also the same treatment recorded higher values of gross return, net retune and return per rupee invested. The least values were recorded in absolute control (no organic and chemical fertilizers). From the results of the field trials, it may be inferred that combined application of 75% RDN + pressmud vermicompost @ 2.5 t ha-1 to sunflower may be an eco-friendly, economically viable and biologically active system that can be advocated to the farmers of tail end area of Cauvery Deltaic Zone of Tamil Nadu.

Sunflower, Vermicompost, production efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, gross return, net retune and return per rupee invested.

"Production efficiency and profitability of sunflower as influenced by chemical fertilizer and organic manures ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 4, page no.423-429, April-2017, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1704090.pdf

"Production efficiency and profitability of sunflower as influenced by chemical fertilizer and organic manures ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 4, page no. pp423-429, April-2017, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1704090.pdf