Performance of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) under variable irrigation schedules and crop-establishment techniques

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2013 and 2014 at Hisar, Haryana to study performance of cluserbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] under different irrigation schedules and crop-establishment techniques. Four crop-establishment techniques, viz. conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), zero tillage (ZT) and furrow-irrigated raised bed system (FIRBS), in main plots were assessed under 3 irrigation schedules, viz. irrigation at irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE) at 0.8, 0.7 and 0.6 in sub-plots using strip-plot design with 3 replications. Clusterbean planted under FIRBS showed significantly taller plants, more number of branches, relative growth rate (RGR), crop-growth rate (CGR), pooled yield parameters and pooled seed yield (0.69 t/ha) than CT, MT and ZT. The FIRBS recorded the highest water-use efficiency (WUE) and irrigation water productivity (IWP) than the others. Irrigation applied at an IW: CPE of 0.80 had pronounced effect on plant height, pod dry matter, CGR, pooled yield parameters and pooled seed yields (0.60 t/ha) compared to IW: CPE of 0.70 and IW: CPE of 0.60.