Published Paper Details:

Two sets of field experiments were conducted during the June-August months at the experimental farm of Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Selaiyur of Chingleput district under irrigated conditions to trace the effect of integrated nutrient management and to assess the yield performance of sunflower +apiary farming system. The experiment consists of two main treatments; i.e, Sunflower alone (M1) ,Sunflower with apiary (M2) and nine sub treatments i.e, Control (S1), 100%RDF (S2), 100%RDF + Azospirillum (S3), 100% RDF +Phosphobacteria (S4), 100% RDF + Vermicompost (S5), 100%RDF+ Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (S6), 100%RDF+ Vermicompost+ Azospirillum (S7), 100% RDF+ Vermicompost+ Phosphobacteria (S8), 100%RDF+ Vermicompost+ Azospirillum+ Phosphobacteria(S9) and it was laid out in split plot design with three replications .Highest performance for plant height, dry matter production, seeds/head, seed filling percentage, and seed yield were observed for the combined application of all three nutrient sources under sunflower + apiary ( M2) treatment by bee pollination. A sunflower crop combined with an apiary, however, had a more noticeable impact than a sunflower crop alone. In addition to the available natural feeding sources, the apiary should be given superior feeding for a longer period of time. Two times every week, 500ml of sugar syrup is provided as food. The development of apiaries in sunflower fields would bring additional compensation and guarantee the growers' ability to support themselves . Value of growing energy costs and restricted input availability and further the transition towards natural farming have led to an increase in the use of integrated nutrient management, which recycles organic waste and uses renewable sources of bio fertilizers. This study looked into how organic manures, inorganic fertilizers, and bio fertilizers (INM) affected sunflower growth and productivity as influenced in combination with apiary integration.