Fertilizer Requirement of Promising Desi Chickpea Strains Under the Environmental Conditions of Bahawalpur Area
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Abstract
A field assessment was carried out during Rabi season 2019–2021 at the research area of Regional Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), Bahawalpur (27.2046°N; 77.4977°E), Punjab, Pakistan. In this study, the effect of fertilizer application on two desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) strains and the most suitable dose was investigated in the field under Bahawalpur environmental conditions. New advance chickpea strains BRC-446 and BRC-474 were tested with five levels of NPK @ 30-60-0 kg ha-1, 60-80-0 kg ha-1, 90-100-0 kg ha-1and 60-80-60 kg ha-1 and no fertilizer representing treatments T2, T3, T4, T5 and T1 (as a control) respectively, in a Split Plot Design with a plot size of 22.5 m2. All P, K and ½ N was applied at sowing and remaining ½ N was applied at 1st irrigation. Cultural practices and plant protection measures were adopted as per recommendations. Data on plant growth and yield were recorded upon harvesting. Soil samples were collected before sowing and after harvest from two depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm for EC, pH, O.M. & NPK determination. The statistical analysis of data showed that fertilizer levels had a significant but differential effect on seed yield of chickpea strains. Maximum yield of 1996 kg ha-1 and 2046 kg ha-1 was obtained for the strains BRC-446 and BRC-47, respectively under T5 which was statistically at par with T2, T3 and T4. There was a linear increase in yield of the strains from 30-60-0 kg ha-1 to 60-80-60 kg ha-1 kg NP level. According to the results obtained, T2 was found to be the economical dose for both chickpea strains. However, the yield varietal differences for both strains were statistically non-significant. Fertilizers composed of five treatments NPK @ T2=30-60-0 kg ha-1, T3=60-80-0 kg ha-1, T4=90-100-0 kg ha-1and T5=60-80-60 kg ha-1 and No fertilizer as a control (T1). The results showed a significant increase in plant height when treated with T5 compared to the control treatment. The Number of pods, seed plant-1 and pods plant-1, seeds weight (g plant-1), 100 seeds weight (g), increased with treatment, T5=60-80-60 kg ha-1 which recorded the highest value compared to the other treatments. Fertilizer dose of 60-80-0 kg NPK per hectare proved to be the best for increasing chickpea yield under Faisalabad conditions. It has been figured out that the characteristic growth-response curves because of exposing plants to different level of NP fertilizer display progressively increased growth with increasing rate of NPK, but there is usually a decrease in growth at higher rate of the NP with no K (90-100-0). The response of strains in this study showed that both Chickpea strains are statistically non-significant but BRC-446 gives higher seed yield than BRC-474.