Effect of Different Green Manuring Crops and Fertilizer Doses on Growth and Yield of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at Scarce Rainfall Zone of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Mahanandi, Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, India during the rabi season of 2021-22 to evaluate the effect of different green manure crops on growth and yield of succeeding chickpea. The field experiment was laid out in split-plot design with four green manure crops viz., cowpea, greengram, horsegram, pillipesara along with one control were grown in situ and incorporated into the soil before sowing of chickpea crops in respective treatments and different levels of fertilizers viz., 25 % RDF (recommended dose of fertilizer), 50 % RDF, 75 % RDF and 100 % RDF were applied to study their interaction effect on growth and yield attributes, nutrient uptake and economics of succeeding chickpea. Growth attributes like plant height (40.7 and 41.2 cm), number of branches plant-1 (26.1 and 27.1), dry matter accumulation (3873 and 3642 kg ha-1) and earlier days to 50 % flowering (53.3 and 53.8 days); grain (876 and 874.6 kg ha-1), haulm (884.3 and 873.2 kg ha-1) yield was found to be highest in the treatment with the incorporation of cowpea as preceding green manure and with the application of 100 % RDF.  The treatment was at par with greengram and pillipesara green manuring and with the application of 75 % RDF. Pre green manuring with cowpea and with the application of the 100 % RDF provided enhanced growth and yield parameters in chickpea than leaving the land fallow during summer season.