Productivity and Morpho-phenological Characters of Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] as Influenced by Crop Geometry and Nipping Practice

Abstract

Background: One of the possible agronomic ways for increasing productivity of pigeonpea is adoption of suitable crop geometry with nipping practices for getting suitable crop architecture for optimum utilization of resources. This investigation was planned to study the influence of crop geometry and nipping practices on production potential of pigeonpea. Methods: The field experiment was conducted at experimental farm of the Department of Pulses, TNAU, Coimbatore, during kharif season of 2021 and 2022. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with each four main and sub plot treatments. The main plot treatments comprised of four crop geometries while thesub plot treatments were nipping practices which includes no nipping, mechanical nipping and chemical nipping. Result: Various crop geometries shown remarkable effect on growth and development of pigeonpea. The crop geometry of 90 cm ´ 30 cm and 90 cm ´ 45 cm recorded maximum plant height of pigeonpea as compared to other wider crop geometries. While in case of all the other growth attributes viz. number of functional leaves per plant, leaf area, number of branches per plant and dry matter accumulation per plant crop geometry of 120 cm ´ 45 cm and 120 cm ´ 30 cm were found superior as compared to othertreatments and were at par with each other. The yield per hectare was increased at wider crop geometry 120 cm 45 cm as the higher per plant yield was compensated by lesser plant population. The crop geometry 120 cm ´ 45 cm produced significantly higher seed yield (1187, 1275 and 1231 kg ha-1 during 2021, 2022 and pooled mean respectively) over crop geometry of 90 cm ´ 30 cm and crop geometry 90 cm ´ 45 cm, but it was found at par with crop geometry 120 cm ´ 30 cm. Among the nipping practices, growth characters viz., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area, number of branches and dry matter accumulation per plant as well as phenological characters were enhanced with the foliar application of chlormequat chloride @500 ppm during both the years of study. Foliar application of chlormequat chloride @ 500 ppm also recorded significantly highest seed yield (1152, 1237and 1195 kg ha-1 during 2021, 2022 and in pooled data, respectively), while it was at par with foliar application of mepiquat chloride @ 500 ppm.