Water productivity and Quality of Chickpea as Influenced by Sowing Methods and Irrigation Regimes in Tarai Region of Uttarakhand

Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) is an essential rabi pulse crop in India, yet its productivity suffers from irregular rainfall. Effective irrigation management is crucial to mitigate water stress and improve crop quality, thereby enhancing food and nutritional security amid growing resource competition. This study aimed to assess the impacts of different sowing methods and irrigation regimes on the water productivity and quality of chickpea at G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology during the 2017-18 season. The experiment included two sowing methods (flat bed and raised bed), two irrigation methods (check basin and sprinkler), and three irrigation stages (vegetative, pod development, and both). The raised bed sowing and sprinkler irrigation improved total and biophysical water productivity. Specifically, sprinkler irrigation achieved an increase of 51.1, 25.0, and 15.3% in total and biophysical water productivity and protein yield, respectively. Single irrigation at the vegetative stage yielded the highest total and biophysical water productivity, while protein yield was significantly greater with two irrigations.