Energy Indices, Productivity and Profitability of Rainfed Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Influenced by Crop Geometry and Nutrient Management Practices

A systematic assessment of energy balance and the economic feasibility of an agro-ecosystem can provide insights on the environmental impacts associated with crop production technologies and provide a basis for adopting best management practices.

A field experiment on “Energy indices, productivity and profitability of rainfed chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) influenced by crop geometry and nutrient management practices” was conducted by Watershed Organisation Trust, India on farmer’s field at Dhule, Maharashtra during the winter season of the year 2017 and 2018. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with the factorial concept. The treatments comprised three levels of nutrient management and four levels of crop geometry.

The pooled data of two years indicated that application of 100 % RDF through organic manures recorded significantly higher grain yield (1.28 t/ha), energy ratio (10.78) and energy productivity (0.29 kg M^-1) and it was at par with the application of 50% RDF through chemical fertilizer + 50% RDF through organic manures. Among the crop geometry treatments, sowing behind the plough method produced significantly higher seed (1.38 t/ha) and straw yield (2.72 t/ha) and it was at par with the sowing of chickpea at 30 × 10 cm. In case of treatment combinations, N1S1 i.e. application of 50% RDF through organic manures + 50 RDF through chemical fertilizers along with sowing behind the plough method recorded maximum seed yield (1.42 t/ha) and net profit (45300 Rs/ha) as well as performed efficiently based on different energy indices.