The Planter performance under varied seed rate and nutrient management in chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i>)

Abstract

A field study was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22 at Agricultural Research Institute, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad, Telangana to evaluate planter performance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Experiment was laid in split plot design with 4 seed rates (52, 70, 77 and 105 kg/ha) with corresponding two inter and intra row spacings (30, 40 and 7.5, 10 cm) in main plots and 7 nutrient management treatments in sub plots, viz. Absolute control, 75, 100, 125% RDF, 75% RDF + Microbial consortia (MC) – Azotobacter + Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria + Potassium releasing bacteria + Zinc solubilizing bacteria (5 kg/ha), 100% RDF + MC and 125% RDF+MC. Results revealed that miss and multiple indices were 11.31 and 10.25 and 4.89 and 4.51% for 10 cm spacing and 7.21 and 6.00 and 5.12 and 5.19% for 7.5 cm spacing during 2020–21 and 2021–22. Higher energy use efficiency (4.64), energy intensiveness (1.61 MJ/₹), net energy benefit (58106.4 MJ/ha) and energy efficiency ratio (2.37) were with 105 kg/ha seed rate and higher specific energy (8.91 MJ/ha) was with 52 kg /ha. Among nutrient management, highest energy use efficiency (4.98) and energy efficiency ratio were with absolute control while, 125% RDF + MC resulted in higher energy intensiveness (1.61 MJ/₹) and net energy benefit (54365.1 MJ/ha). Higher specific energy and agro-chemical energy ratio was with 75% RDF (7.94 MJ/ha) and 125% RDF (0.48). Among seed rate, yield (seed and haulm) and energy indices were highest with 105 kg/ ha and among nutrient management, highest yield and energy indices were with 125% RDF + MC but, on par with 100% RDF + MC and 125% RDF treatments.