Yield, water use and economics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) as influenced by different levels of irrigation and mulches

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2010–11 and 2011–12 at Mohanpur, West Bengal, to evaluate the effect of irrigation and mulch on yield, nutrient uptake and water use of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Chickpea irrigated at an irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE) of 0.6 showed 7.22% and 22.65% higher seed yield than that an IW: CPE of 0.4 (0.98 t/ha) and rainfed (0.85 t/ha), respectively, and was found significantly superior. The maximum seed yield of about 1.00 t/ha under the treatment receiving black polythene mulch, which was about 2.94%, 6.99% and 9.35% higher than the treatments receiving straw @ 5 t/ha, water hyacinth @ 5 t/ha and no mulch, respectively. The maximum N, P, K uptake was recorded by the crop irrigated at an IW: CPE of 0.6 and treatment receiving black polythene mulch. Water-use efficiency was the highest with rainfed treatment and treatment receiving black polythene. Treatment receiving irrigation at an IW: CPE of 0.6 recorded highest net return and benefit: cost ratio while among various mulches, black polythene maintained its superiority with highest net return and B: C ratio.