Enhancing productivity and profitability of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) through organic nutrient management under Indo-Gangetic plains conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the 2024-25 Rabi season at the Crop Research Centre, Maharishi University of Information Technology (MUIT), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to investigate the impact of organic nutrient management on the yield attributes, productivity, and economics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The experiment comprised ten treatments: T₁ - Control, T₂ - 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF) + Vermicompost @ 3 t ha⁻¹, T₃ - 100% RDF + Farmyard Manure (FYM) @ 6 t ha⁻¹, T₄ - 100% RDF + Poultry Manure @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹, T₅ - 75% RDF + Vermicompost @ 3 t ha⁻¹, T₆ - 75% RDF + FYM @ 6 t ha⁻¹, T₇ - 75% RDF + Poultry Manure @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹, T₈ - 50% RDF + Vermicompost @ 3 t ha⁻¹, T₉ - 50% RDF + FYM @ 6 t ha⁻¹, and T₁₀ - 50% RDF + Poultry Manure @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹. The results demonstrated that the application of 100% RDF + Poultry Manure @ 2.5 t ha⁻¹ (T₄) resulted in the highest grain yield (24.8 q ha⁻¹), which was statistically at par with 100% RDF + Vermicompost @ 3 t ha⁻¹ (T₂), yielding 23.7 q ha⁻¹. Moreover, the maximum net return (₹110,162 ha¹) was also recorded under T₄, followed by T₂ and T₃ (100% RDF + FYM @ 6 t ha¹). These findings highlight the efficacy of integrating organic amendments with inorganic fertilizers, particularly poultry manure, in enhancing chickpea productivity and profitability under the agro-climatic conditions of the Indo-Gangetic Plains.