Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2020; 9(6): 623-626

E-ISSN: 2278-4136
P-ISSN: 2349-8234
www.phytojournal.com Effect of integrated nutrient management on
JPP 2020; 9(6): 623-626
Received: 16-08-2020 growth, yield, soil nutrient status and economics
Accepted: 09-10-2020
of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under south
HA Patel
Ph.D., Student, Department of
Gujarat conditions
Agronomy, N.M. College of
Agriculture, Navsari
Agricultural University, Navsari, HA Patel and JD Thanki
Gujarat, India
Abstract
JD Thanki A field experiment was conducted at the College Farm, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari
Professor and Head, Department
(Gujarat) during rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19. There were five treatments imposed in chickpea
of Agronomy, N.M. College of
Agriculture, Navsari
viz., T1 - 100% RDF, T2 - 75% RDF, T3 - 100% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB, T4 - 75% RDF + Rhizobium +
Agricultural University, Navsari, PSB, T5 - control. General application of FYM in 2.5 t/ha. These treatments were evaluated replicated
Gujarat, India four times in randomized block design. Application of 100% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T3) recorded
significantly higher almost all the growth attributes viz., plant height, number of branches per plant, dry
matter accumulation per plant, volume of nodules per plant, yield attributes and yield viz., number of
pods per plant, seed index, seed yield per plant, seed yield, stover yield as well as available nutrient status
in soil but remained at par with 100% RDF (T1) and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T4). Likewise,
economics was remarkably improved due to inorganic fertilizers as well as combination of inorganic
fertilizers with biofertilizers (Rhizobium + PSB).

Keywords: Chickpea, integrated nutrient management, yields

Introduction
Pulses as a candidate crop, contributes immensely towards doubling farmers’ income through
diminishing cost of production, scaling per unit productivity, efficient marketing networks and
successful technology delivery mechanisms by giving emphasis sustainable intensification and
crop diversification, climate resilient production technologies backed with strong research
outputs in pulses can contribute towards doubling the farmers’ income (Singh, 2018) [11]. In
India, pulses are grown in an area of 29.99 million hectares with total production of 25.23
million tonnes with productivity of 841 kg/ha. While in Gujarat, it is grown over an area of
0.91 million hectares with an annual production of 0.93 million tonnes with the productivity of
1022 kg/ha (Anonymous, 2018) [2].
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop grown and consumed all over the
world. It is a good source of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, folate, A precursor,
β-carotene and the protein quality is considered to be better than other pulses. chickpea is rich
in nutritionally important unsaturated fatty acids like linoleic and oleic acid. It could have
beneficial effects on some of the important human diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2
diabetes, digestive diseases and some cancers. In India, chickpea are grown in an area of 10.56
million hectares with total production of 11.23 million tonnes with productivity of 1063 kg/ha.
While in Gujarat, chickpea is grown in an area of 0.29 million hectares producing 0.37 million
tonnes with the productivity of 1253 kg/ha (Anonymous, 2018) [3].
The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is the maintenance of soil fertility
and supply plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity
through optimization of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated
manner. Nitrogen, phosphorus and biofertilizers like rhizobium and phosphate solubilizing
bacteria play a vital role in the nutrition of plants. In fact, these fertilizer nutrients are lacking
mostly in the soils. Fertility analysis of Indian soils has indicated that the soils are deficient in
micro-organisms and nutrients. Therefore, application of biofertilizers and inorganic fertilizers
Corresponding Author: becomes essential to raise the crop yield. Rhizobium has an enormous potential to fix
HA Patel atmospheric nitrogen. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) solubilize the unavailable bound
Ph.D., Student, Department of phosphates of the soil and make them available to plants which increase overall plant growth
Agronomy, N.M. College of
Agriculture, Navsari
resulting in 10 to 15% increase in yield.
Agricultural University, Navsari,
Gujarat, India
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Material and Methods of 10 ml/kg) to chickpea seeds according to treatment of plot

The present study entitled “Effect of integrated nutrient in both the years before sowing. The inoculated seeds were
management on growth, yield, soil nutrient status and dried under shade and were sown as per the treatments.
economics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under south General application of farm yard manure was applied to
Gujarat conditions” will be carried out during the rabi seasons chickpea crop as evenly spread and mixed in that particular
of 2017-18 and 2018-19. The soil of experimental field was bed.
clay in texture and low in organic carbon (0.42%) and
available nitrogen (196.80 kg/ha), medium in available Results and Discussion
phosphorus (38.30 kg/ha), high in available potassium Data presented in (Table 1) indicated that the plant height was
(315.43 kg/ha) and slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 8.23). The significantly influenced by different treatments tried in the
treatments consisted of integrated nutrient management viz., experiment at all the stages of crop growth except at 30 DAS
T1 - 100% RDF, T2 - 75% RDF, T3 - 100% RDF + Rhizobium in pooled analysis. On the basis of pooled analysis plant
+ PSB, T4 - 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB, T5 - control. height, number of branches per plant and dry matter
General application of FYM in 2.5 t/ha to chickpea in rabi accumulation per plant and volume of nodules per plant were
season and replicated four times in randomized block design. significantly influenced due to effect of different treatments.
Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) for rabi chickpea is Significantly higher plant height at 60 DAS and at harvest
20 N + 40 P2O5 + 00 K2O kg/ha. was recorded under treatment 100% RDF+ Rhizobium + PSB
Chickpea cv. GG 2 was sown with spacing of 30 X 10 cm in (T3) being remained at par with treatment 100% RDF (T1) and
November and harvested in March during both the years. The 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T4). Application of 100%
chickpea crop was fertilized as per treatment. The nitrogen RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T3) resulted in significantly higher
was applied through urea (46% N) whereas phosphorus was number of branches per plant, dry matter accumulation per
applied through single superphosphate (16% P2O5). The plant at 30 DAS, 60 DAS and at harvest during pooled
recommended dose of fertilizer was applied at the time of analysis at par with treatment 100% RDF (T1) and 75% RDF
sowing. Inoculation of biofertilizers (Rhizobium + PSB each + Rhizobium + PSB (T4).

Table 1: Plant height, number of branches per plant, dry matter accumulation per plant and volume of nodules per plant of chickpea as
influenced periodically by different treatments (Pooled results)
Plant height (cm) Number of branches/plant Dry matter accumulation/plant (g) Volume of nodules/plant(ml)
Treatment
30 DAS 60 DAS At harvest 30 DAS 60 DAS At harvest 30 DAS 60 DAS At harvest 30 DAS 50 DAS
T1 15.79 33.18 48.12 4.94 8.41 10.95 2.72 10.82 22.98 1.31 2.40
T2 15.21 31.15 44.06 4.31 7.55 10.18 2.27 9.74 19.73 1.00 1.72
T3 15.97 34.47 50.96 5.02 8.59 11.17 2.81 11.35 23.54 1.44 2.68
T4 15.52 32.35 47.52 4.56 8.08 10.55 2.53 10.65 22.07 1.08 1.82
T5 14.82 26.32 41.56 3.73 6.65 9.52 1.93 8.67 17.42 0.84 1.16
S.Em+ 0.32 0.73 1.18 0.10 0.18 0.22 0.05 0.24 0.50 0.02 0.05
CD (P=0.05) NS 2.14 3.46 0.30 0.52 0.64 0.15 0.71 1.48 0.07 0.13
CV (%) 5.83 6.52 7.16 6.42 6.31 5.84 5.90 6.62 6.73 5.86 6.57
General mean 15.46 31.49 46.45 4.51 7.86 10.47 2.45 10.24 21.15 1.13 1.96
Interaction (Y x T)
S.Em+ 0.45 1.03 1.66 0.15 0.25 0.31 0.07 0.34 0.71 0.03 0.06
CD (P=0.05) NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS

Table 2: Number of pods per plant, seed index, seed yield per plant, seed yield, stover yield and harvest index of chickpea as affected by
different treatments (Pooled results)
Treatment Number of pods/plant Seed index (g) Seed yield/plant (g) Seed yield (q/ha) Stover yield (q/ha) Harvest index (%)
T1 36.97 23.27 8.34 22.20 41.67 34.72
T2 34.54 22.02 7.64 19.73 39.88 33.09
T3 38.92 24.52 8.62 23.47 42.76 35.40
T4 36.94 23.04 7.99 21.75 41.40 34.45
T5 33.71 20.60 7.02 17.77 36.74 32.24
S.Em+ 0.68 0.52 0.22 0.79 0.46 1.01
CD (P=0.05) 1.99 1.52 0.66 2.33 1.36 NS
CV (%) 5.29 6.44 7.95 10.66 3.24 8.41
General mean 36.22 22.69 7.92 20.99 40.49 33.98
Interaction (Y x T)
S.Em+ 0.96 0.73 0.32 1.12 0.66 1.43
CD (P=0.05) NS NS NS NS NS NS

Table 3: Available nutrient (N, P2O5 and K2O) status of soil as influenced by different treatment after harvest of chickpea (Pooled results)
Treatment Available N (kg/ha) Available P2O5 (kg/ha) Available K2O (kg/ha)
T1 228.20 45.67 322.60
T2 214.39 41.47 303.78
T3 233.59 46.81 328.83
T4 225.80 44.40 305.83
T5 197.80 40.63 293.82
S.Em+ 2.67 0.83 8.56
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CD (P=0.05) 7.84 2.43 NS

CV (%) 3.43 5.34 7.79
General mean 219.96 43.80 310.97
Interaction (Y x T)
S.Em+ 3.77 1.17 12.11
CD (P=0.05) NS NS NS

Table 4: Economics of chickpea as influenced by different treatments (Average 2017-18 and 2018-19)
Yield (q/ha) Cost (Rs./ha)
Treatment Cost of cultivation Gross monetary returns Net monetary returns B:C ratio
Seed Stover Fixed Variable
T1 22.20 41.67 32435 7094 39529 147785 108256 2.74
T2 19.73 39.88 32435 6570 39005 132338 93333 2.39
T3 23.47 42.76 32435 7334 39769 155786 116017 2.92
T4 21.75 41.40 32435 6810 39245 144990 105745 2.69
T5 17.77 36.74 32435 5000 37435 119479 82044 2.19

The plant height in chickpea tended to increase due to quick results are on the lines of the findings of Meena and Ram
release of available nitrogen synthesized by root rhizobia to (2013), Gorade et al. (2014) and Dewangan et al. (2017) [8, 5, 4].
the plant at the time of vegetative growth. The increase in Maximum net monetary returns of and B:C ratio (Table 4)
number of branches per plant to increasing fertilizer level and was recorded with application of 100% RDF + Rhizobium +
biofertilizers might be due to improvement in nutrient PSB (T3) followed by treatments 100% RDF (T1) and 75%
availability that enhanced horizontal expansion of chickpea RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T4). The increase in gross income,
by encouraging cell division in the meristematic region. Net income and B:C ratio may be due to higher production
Nitrogen and phosphorus might have increased the because more availability of nutrient with combine
photosynthetic efficiency and thus increased the production of application of nutrient sources. Similar results were also
photosynthates. This is in agreement with the findings reported by Kumar et al. (2017), Kumar et al. (2015), Singh
reported earlier by Jat et al. (2012), Tripathi et al. (2013), et al. (2017) and Kumar et al. (2018) [12].
Singh et al. (2012) and Singh et al. (2017) [6, 13, 10, 12].
Moreover, application of 100% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB (T3) Conclusion
produced significantly highest volume of nodules per plant at Based on the results of pooled analysis, conclusion can be
30 and 50 DAS during pooled result. It was properly due to made that for getting higher grain yield, returns and
positive effect of biofertilizers and FYM by increasing the maintenance of soil status, chickpea crop should be nourished
nodulation resulted higher fixation of atmospheric nitrogen with 75% RDF (15 N + 30 P2O5 + 00 K2O kg/ha) +
and ultimately increased the growth characters. Rhizobium (10 ml/kg seed) + PSB (10 ml/kg seed) with 2.5
The results presented in (Table 2) indicated to yield attributes t/ha FYM under south Gujarat condition.
viz., number of pods per plant, seed index (100 seed weight)
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