Soil moisture regime and genotypes influence yield of pea

The application of sprinkler irrigation at 28 and 49 days after sowing (DAS) significantly increased the vegetable pod yield as well as yield attributes like number of pod/plant, 10-pod weight and grain yield to the tune of 25 or 50% compared to flood irrigation once at 28 days after sowing or no irrigation during the entire crop growth period. The soil moisture level shoots up from initial 12.5% (at 28 DAS) to 43% immediately after flood irrigation and gradually decreased to 35 (at 36 DAS), 28 (at 43 DAS) and 24% (at 49 DAS) during active growth to flowering and pod setting stage. The available soil moisture was higher under sprinkler irrigation from 49 DAS to physiological maturity (70 DAS) stage. In no irrigation system, the soil moisture content uniformly decreased from 12.5 (at 28 DAS) to 9.6% at physiological maturity stage. The soil moisture regime in the root zone of the crop was indicative to the yield and nodule properties of pea crop.