Performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) as influenced by moisture management and zinc fortification in pearlmillet (Pennisetum glaucum)– chickpea cropping system under limited moisture conditions

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2012–13 and 2013–14 at research farm of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to determine the effect of moisture management and direct as well as residual effect of zinc fortification on performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in pearlmillet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]–chickpea cropping system under limited moisture conditions. Different moisturemanagement practices resulted in significantly higher plant height, dry-matter accumulation, number and weight of root nodules, number of branches, pods/plant, grains/pod and 1,000-grain weight compared to flat planting. However, flat bed planting recorded significantly higher values of root parameters than crop residue-applied treatments. Significantly higher grain (2.48 t/ha) and stover (5.98 t/ha) yields with water productivity of 116.9 kg/m³ were observed under flat bed with 5.0 t/ha crop residue over flat bed without residue and flat bed with 2.5 t/ha crop residue. Narrow bed and furrow with 2.5 t/ha crop residue cover fetched significantly higher production efficiency, whereas, flat bed with 5.0 t/ha crop residue recorded significantly higher Zn content in grain and stover of chickpea than rest of the moisture-management practices. Under direct-applied zinc fortification treatments increasing levels of zinc up to 5.0 kg/ha significantly enhanced the growth parameters, yield attributes, yield, water productivity, production efficiency and Zn content in both grain and stover of chickpea. Under residual effect of zinc fortification, plant height, number and dry weight of root nodules, root parameters, number of secondary branches, pods/plant, test weight, stover yield, water productivity and production efficiency of chickpea were increased significantly only up to 2.5 kg Zn/ha. However, application 5.0 kg Zn/ha to pearlmillet recorded significantly higher dry-matter accumulation, number of primary branches, grain yield (2.32 t/ha) and content of Zn in grain as well as in stover than lower levels.