Response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) to seeding time and phosphorus and their after-effects on succeeding baby corn (Zea mays)

A field study conducted during 2005–07 on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)–baby corn (Zea mays L.) cropping system on sandy loam soil at New Delhi revealed that chickpea cv ‘ICCV 96029’ produced higher mean greenseed (chholia) yield (1.20 t/ha) than ‘ICCV 96030’ (0.93 t/ha). The maximum chholia production was recorded when the crop was sown on 7 October (1.31 t/ha), and the least (0.82 t/ha) when it was sown on 15 October. Application of 26.4 kg P/ha recorded significantly more chholia production (1.15 t/ha) than 13.2 kg P/ha (1.09 t/ha) and unfertilized crop (0.94 t/ha). The performance of the succeeding baby corn was not influenced by chickpea cultivars. Baby corn raised after chickpea sown on 15 October recorded higher yield than that after chickpea grown after two other dates of seeding. Baby corn after chickpea fertilized with 26.4 kg P/ha produced the highest yield. The chickpea–baby corn cropping system on an average removed 16.47 kg P/ha, whereas the cropping system received 39.6 kg P/ha, resulting in build-up of available soil P by 0.73 kg/ha. The net returns followed the trend of chholia production. Thus sowing chickpea cv ‘ICCV 96029’ on 7 October with 13.2 kg/ha for chholia with the succeeding baby corn receiving the recommended dose of fertilizers is best for productivity and returns of chickpeababy corn cropping system.