Effect of Surface Drainage of Water on Soil Aeration and Productivity of Black Gram (Vigna Mungo) Cultivars in Wet Temperate Zone of Himachal Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted for three consecutive Kharif seasons on silty clay loam soil at the research farm of CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur to find the effect of surface drainage of rain water on the performance of black gram cultivars. Twelve treatment combinations consisting of four drainage conditions (surface drainage not provided, surface drainage through providing drain after three lines of crop, surface drainage through providing drain all around the plot, surface drainage through furrows in ridge and furrow system with crop planted on ridges) and three black gram cultivars (Palampur-3, UG-218 and PDU-1) were replicated thrice in a split plot design with varieties in main plots and drainage conditions in sub plots. Surface drainage of water significantly increased black gram yield, gross and net returns in comparison to no surface drainage of water. Planting on ridge and drainage of water through furrow resulted in significantly higher black gram yield (30.4%), gross (30.5%) and net (33.2%) returns than no surface drainage of water. Grain yield (16.5%), gross returns (16.5%), net returns (59.6%) and B:C ratio (63.2%) were higher in variety Palampur-93 than in variety UG – 218.