Effect of Irrigation Level and Sowing Date on Yield of Field Bean in Saline Soils of Konkan Region of Maharashtra

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during consecutive Rabi seasons of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 in coastal saline soils at Khar Land Research Station, Panvel, Maharashtra, India to study the effect of different sowing dates and irrigation levels on the production potential of field bean. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with four replications, comprising three dates of sowing viz., immediately after harvest of paddy (D1), 10 days after harvest of paddy (D2), and 20 days after harvest of paddy (D3); and three irrigation levels viz., no irrigation (I0), one irrigation at flowering (I1), and one irrigation each at flowering and at pod formation (I2). The results showed that the treatment D1 recorded significantly higher seed yield of field bean (915 kg.ha-1) over D2 (713 kg.ha-1) and D3 (605 kg.ha-1). Among the irrigation levels, treatment I1 resulted in significantly higher seed yield of field bean (856 kg.ha-1) over I2 (726 kg.ha-1) and I0 (650 kg.ha-1). The treatment combination I1D1 produced significantly higher seed yield of field bean (1065 kg.ha-1) with higher net realization (1,06,500 ₹.ha-1), net income (55,222 ₹.ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.08). Both sowing date and irrigation level played important role in management of root zone soil moisture and soil salinity which influenced the seed yield. Sowing of field bean immediately after the harvest of paddy and providing one irrigation at the time of flowering is recommended to obtain better yield and returns from the field beans cultivated in Konkan region of Maharashtra.