Influence of irrigation and hydrogel on transplanted summer pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during summer season of the year 2023 to study the influence of irrigation and hydrogel on transplanted summer Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] on loamy sand soil at Agronomy Farm, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India. Nine treatment combinations comprising three levels of irrigation schedules based on IW/CPE ratio viz., I1 (0.6 IW/CPE ratio), I2 (0.8 IW/CPE ratio) and I3 (1.0 IW/CPE ratio) as main plot treatment as well as three levels of hydrogel viz., H1 (No hydrogel), H2 (2.5 kg/ha hydrogel) and H3 (5.0 kg/ha hydrogel) were relegated in sub plot treatment and tested under split plot design with four replications. The results indicated that irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE along with application of 5.0 kg/ha hydrogel recorded significantly higher number of effective tillers, grain yield, stover yield, maximum net returns and benefit cost ratio but it was at par with treatment irrigation at I2 (0.8 IW/CPE ratio) along with application of 5.0 kg/ha hydrogelunder middle Gujarat agro-climatic conditions.