Influence of Irrigation Scheduling and Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield and Quality of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract:

A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2025–26 at the Agricultural Farm, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur to evaluate the effect of irrigation scheduling and integrated nutrient management on growth, yield and quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four irrigation treatments in main plots viz., control (no post-sowing irrigation), irrigation at vegetative and pod formation stages, and irrigation water to cumulative pan evaporation ratio of 0.6 and irrigation water to cumulative pan evaporation ratio of 0.8, and four integrated nutrient management treatments in sub-plots viz., 100% recommended dose of fertilizers, 75% recommended dose of fertilizers + farmyard manure at 5 t ha⁻¹, 50% recommended dose of fertilizers + vermicompost at 2 t ha⁻¹, and 50% recommended dose of fertilizers + vermicompost at 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + phosphate solubilizing bacteria. Among irrigation treatments, irrigation water to cumulative pan evaporation ratio of 0.8 recorded significantly higher seed yield (1651.89 kg ha⁻¹), haulm yield (2495.11 kg ha⁻¹), biological yield (4147.00 kg ha⁻¹), protein yield and net returns (₹ 47874.07 ha⁻¹) with benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.03. Among integrated nutrient management treatments, 50% recommended dose of fertilizers + vermicompost at 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + phosphate solubilizing bacteria proved superior with maximum seed yield (1519.74 kg ha⁻¹) and net returns (₹ 38470.92 ha⁻¹) with benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.79. The interaction of irrigation water to cumulative pan evaporation ratio of 0.8 with 50% recommended dose of fertilizers + vermicompost at 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + phosphate solubilizing bacteria recorded the highest seed yield (2054.15 kg ha⁻¹) and net returns (₹ 66540.90 ha⁻¹) with benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.33. This treatment combination was most effective and economically viable for enhancing chickpea productivity under semi-arid conditions.