Production Potential of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) under Conservation Agriculture based Tillage, Residue and Weed Management Practices

Conservation agriculture (CA) is widely acknowledged as a powerful technique for addressing land and environmental degradation. CA is based on principles of maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance and diversification of plant species. A long term experiment was conducted to assess the effect of conservation agriculture practices on performance of pigeonpea. The experiment was started in Rabi 2018–19 which was later modified in Rabi 2021–22 with different tillage, residue, weed and nutrient management practices under diversified cropping systems.

The present investigation was conducted in Kharif 2022 and 2023. The experiment was laid out in randomised complete block design comprising 3 treatments including layering of tillage practices comprised of sowing of pigeonpea on fresh bed and permanent bed, the 3 residue management practices were residue removal, residue incorporation and surface residue retention while 2 weed management practices involved application of pre-emergence herbicides and cowpea green manuring coupled with 2 nutrient management practices viz. recommended dose of fertilizer and 80% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) in pigeonpea.

Significantly higher growth parameters, nodule dry weight, pods plant^-1, yield and nutrient uptake were recorded in no-tillage with surface residue retention under cowpea green manuring along with application of 80% RDN. Thus, conservation agriculture based no-till scenario can be adopted for maximizing productivity of pigeonpea.