Impact of different irrigation methods on microbial activity in pea and chickpea
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Date
2018
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
Field experiment was conducted in winter seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18 at PAU, Ludhiana to study the impact of different irrigation methods on microbial activity in pea and chickpea. Pea var. PB-89 and chickpea var. PBG-5 were grown under five types of irrigation treatments. The treatments were drip irrigation in crop grown on plain (T1), drip irrigation in crop grown on ridges (T2), flood irrigation (T3), furrow irrigation (T4) and rainfed crop (T5). Growth parameters of plant height and leaf area index were recorded significantly higher under drip irrigation treatments. Symbiotic traits as number of nodules per plant and dry weight of nodules were recorded similar under different irrigation treatments but significantly more than rainfed treatment. However, leghaemoglobin content of nodules was found significantly more under drip irrigation. Microbial population of bacteria and Rhizobia were found non-significant but population of fungi and p-solubilizer bacteria and dehydrogenase activity of soil were significantly higher in drip and furrow irrigation. Significantly higher yields were found in drip irrigation treatments with maximum values under T1 for both the crops in both years and minimum values were observed under T5. A constant moisture regime was maintained in T1 and T2 which resulted in increased microbial activity and yield, while fluctuating moisture content under flood and furrow and deficit moisture content under rainfed treatment adversely affected yields. It may be concluded that drip irrigation positively impacts symbiotic traits and microbial activity which leads to better growth and yield of pea and chickpea crops.
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