Effect of Drip Irrigation and Mulching on Growth, Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Rabi Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L.)

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of the year 2011–12 at Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat) to study effect of the drip irrigation and mulching on growth, yield and water use efficiency of rabi pigeon pea (Cajanus Cajan L.). Twelve treatment combinations comprising of four irrigation levels (I₁: 0.4 PEF, I₂: 0.6 PEF, and I₃: 0.8 PEF by drip irrigation and I₄: 1.0 IW/CPE, IW: 40 mm surface irrigation) and three mulches (M₀: no mulch, M-₁: sugarcane trash mulch @5 t/ha and 50% coverage and M-₂: black plastic mulch @25 micron and 50% coverage) were tried in FRBD design with four replications. Among the different treatment combinations crop irrigated with I₃ 0.8 PEF with black plastic mulch (I₃M₂) recorded significantly higher grain yield (1732 kg/ha), this treatment remained statistically at par with I₂M₂ (1630 kg/ha), I₁M₂(1630 kg/ha) similarly significant result obtain haulm yield and stalk yield (2021 kg/ha) and (1348 kh/ha) respectively. Drip irrigation scheduled at lower ratio (0.4 PEF) recorded higher WUE of 3.4 kg/ha-mm with 48 per cent water saving over surface irrigation. The interaction effect of drip irrigation 0.8 PEF + sugarcane trash mulch @ 5 t/ha, 50per cent coverage (816.79 US $/ha) recorded higher net returns but interaction effect drip irrigation 0.8 PEF + plastic mulch @25 micron get higher yield. This finding could be attributing to higher seed yield of pigeonpea.