Residual effect of integrated nitrogen management of sorghum on growth, yield attributes, yield and quality of chickpea

Abstract

A field experiment entitled, “Residual effect of integrated nitrogen management of sorghum on growth, yield attributes, yield and quality of chickpea” was carried out during two consecutive kharif and rabi seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 on loamy sand soil of Agronomy Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar. The treatment consisted of integrated nitrogen management viz., T1: absolute control, T2: RDF (80:40:00 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha), T3: 25% RDN through FYM + 75% RDN through urea, T4: 50% RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through urea, T5: 25% RDN through castor shell compost + 75% RDN through urea, T6: 50% RDN through castor shell compost + 50% RDN through urea, T7: 25% RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through urea + Azotobacter, T8: 25% RDN through castor shell compost + 50% RDN through urea + Azotobacter, T9: 25% RDN through FYM + 25% RDN through castor shell compost + 50% RDN through urea, T10: 50% RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through castor shell compost + Azotobacter to sorghum in kharif season as main plot treatments replicated four times in randomized block design. During rabi season each main plot treatment was split into two sub plot treatments with two levels of fertilizers dose viz., F0: Control, F1: RDF (20:40:00 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha) to chickpea resulting in twenty treatment combinations replicated four times in split plot design. The results showed that application of 50% RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through castor shell compost + Azotobacter to sorghum had significant residual effect on the chickpea and significantly influenced viz., number of branches per plant (5.65), number of pods per plant (53.57), seed (2042 kg/ha) and stover (2644 kg/ha) yield, net return (₹ 88218/ha) and BCR (3.54) of chickpea. Among the levels of fertilizer dose directly applied to chickpea in rabi season, significantly higher values of seed (2144 kg/ha) and stover (2766 kg/ha) yield, net return (₹92218/ha) and BCR (3.51) were obtained under the application of RDF (20:40:00 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha). Thus, application of 50% RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through castor shell compost + Azotobacter to sorghum, while chickpea crop should be fertilized with RDF (20:40:00 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha).