Effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Pulses are a major source of dietary protein, India is the largest producer, consumer and the importer of pulses in the world. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the third important pulse crop in the world after french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.). Integrated nutrient management (INM) is a judicious use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrient to crop fields for sustaining and maintaining soil productivity. Bio fertilizers are the inoculations of microbial cultures which are actually multiplied artificially of certain soil microorganisms that can improve soil fertility and crop productivity. Bio fertilizers are economical as their cost is very low and are also the renewable sources through which the plant gets nutrients which supplemented with chemical fertilizers. In the present work, experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with Integrated nutrient management (INM) on growth and yield of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with ten treatments and three replications, of recommended dose of fertilizers (50%, 75% and 100%), two type of organic manures (farm yard manure and vermi compost) and two type of bio fertilizers (Rhizobium and PSB) on chickpea variety GNG-1581. The experimental results showed that application of 50% RDF with 2 t vermi compost and PSB produced significantly higher plant height and dry matter accumulation at 40 DAS, 80 DAS and at harvest, effective nodules at 45 DAS, number of braches at 40 DAS, and no. of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, test weight, seed yield, straw yield and biological yield and harvest index and net returns over control.