Effect of moisture-conservation practices, phosphorus levels and bacterial inoculation on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) under rainfed condition

A field experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 1997–98 and 1998–99 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to study the effect of conserved soil moisture, levels of phosphorus and bacterial seed inoculation. In-situ moisture conservation through field bunding + farmyard manure (FYM) @ 10 tonnes/ha proved to conserve maximum moisture and improved the yield, nodulation and water-use efficiency (WUE) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L). The next important practice was found to be field bunding + green-manure (GM) (dhaincha). However, both these practices did not exhibit marked differences on the yield during both the years as well as in pooled data. Application of phosphorus @ 60 kg P₂O₅/ha significantly increased yield attributes, yield, number of nodules/plant, dry weight of nodules and consumptive use of water. The increase in above values was progressively related to P doses from 0 to 60 kg P₂O₅/ha. However, grain yield and WUE were maximum (20.02 q/ha and 8.38 kg/ha-mm) up to 30 kg P₂O₅/ha in both the years. Use of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria increased the yield attributes, like pods/plants, seed weight/plant and test weight and consumptive use of water and WUE of the chickpea in comparison to no inoculation.