INFLUENCE OF SULPHUR, PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION AND PSB INOCULATION ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF CHICKPEA UNDER MIDDLE GUJARAT CONDITIONS
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Date
2004
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AAU, Anand
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at the College Agronomy Farm, B.A.College of Agriculture, Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand Campus, Anand during the rabi season of 2002-03 to study the influence of sulphur, phosphorus fertilization and PSB inoculation on growth and yield of chickpea(GC-2) under middle Gujarat conditions. The soil of experimental plot was loamy sand in texture having good drainage with 7.9 pH. The soil was low in organic matter and available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and high in potassium. The experiment comparised of combinations of three levels of sulphur application viz., So: 0 kg S ha-1, SI: 20 kg S ha-1 and S2: 40 kg S ha-1 and four phosphorus management treatments viz., PQ: No phosphorus, no PSB, Pi: PSB alone, P2 : 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 and P3 : 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 + PSB. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD-2) with four replications. One common application of 25 kg N ha-1 was given to all the treatments as starter dose. Plant population at 20 DAS was not influenced by sulphur application. The other growth attributes viz., plant height (At 25 and 50 DAS and , at harvest), number of branches plant-1, number of nodules plant-1 and dry weight of nodules significantly influenced due to application of sulphur over control. Perusal of data in general indicated that the maximum vegetative growth was achieved by application of 20 kg S ha-1. However, plant height at 25 DAS and dry weight of nodules were optimum under 40 kg S ha-1. Increased vegetative growth due to sulphur application had brought concomitant improvement in yield attributes and finally in the yield. The yield attributes viz., number of pods plant-1, grain yield plant-1, grain yield, straw yield and test weight were significantly influenced by sulphur application over control. On the contrary, variation in harvest index due to sulphur application was absent. The maximum improvement in yield attributes was achieved upto application of 20 kg S ha-1. Among the quality parameters, nitrogen, protein and sulphur content in giain were significantly influenced by sulphur application. All were improved significantly at 40 kg S ha-1. Differences in phosphorus content of grain was not observed due to sulphur application. The post harvest nutrient (available nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur) status of soil was significantly influenced by sulphur application. The highest post harvest available nitrogen and available sulphur status of soil was observed under 40 kg S ha-1. However, available phosphorus was optimum at 20 kg S ha-1. The phosphorus management treatments could not affect the plant population at 20 DAS. The tallest plant at 25 DAS was recorded under application of 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 plus PSB (P3), while number of branches plant'' and number of nodules plant'L significantly influenced due to adequate supply of phosphorus through application of P2O5 @ 25 kg ha-1 plus PSB (P3) or 25 kg P2O5 ha-1 alone (P2). However dry weight of nodules was also improved significantly by P3, P2 and Pi (PSB alone) fertilization. Profused vegetative growth due to adequate supply of phosphorus either through P2 or P3 resulted into significantly more number of pods plant-1, grain yield plant-1 and test weight and thereby more grain and straw yields and, fiulher better harvest index. The nitrogen and protein content in grain were also improved significantly by P3 fertilization. However, phosphorus and sulphur in grain were also improved significantly by P3 and P2 fertilization. Further, the post harvest nutrient status of available nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur were significantly improved due to phosphorus management treatments. The maximum available nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur were recorded with the application of phosphorus @ 25 kg ha-1 plus PSB. From the foregoing results it is pertinent that chickpea GC-2 gave highest grain yield as well as net returns when it was fertilized with 20 kg S ha-1 as well 25 kg P2O5 ha-1.
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Dissertation, An Experiment