Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
gradually increased to 25.58 MT in 2020-21however, countryhas a target of achieving 32
and 39 MT by 2030 and 2050, respectively. Therefore, the productivity of pulse crops has
to increase for meeting the growing demand. Among the pulse crops, chickpea is the
important crop with 49% of total pulses productionin the country (Gaur, 2021). Lower
productivity of pulsesis attributed to the use of traditional cultivars, cultivation on
marginal lands without proper nutrient management, irrigation and disease and pest
control at right time. Further, reduction in the use of organic amendments and
deficiencies of micronutrients especially zinc and iron hindering pulse productivity
(Patil et al., 2018). Hence, anexperiment was conducted at Research Farm, ICAR-IISWC,
Bellari, to know the effect of bio-fertilizers mediated integrated nutrient management on
chickpea productivity under rainfed Vertisols of south India.
Methodology
Treatments covers two main fertilizer application practices, viz., farmer’s practice (10:25,
N:P and 2.5 tons FYM once in three years) as T 1 and recommended rate of fertilizer
application (25:50 N:P and 5 tons FYM once in three years) as T2. These two treatments
were supplemented with bio-fertilizers viz., Rhizobium culture, phosphate solubilizing
bacteria (PSB), plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) to constitute T 3 and T 6
treatments. Further, micronutrient zinc supplied with fertilizer application constitutes the
T 4 and T 7. Combined effects ofbio-fertilizers and a micronutrient with main fertilizer
application practices were tested in T 5 and T 8treatments, respectively. Finally, to test the
effect of foliar application, T2 was supplemented with foliar application of NPK (19:19:19
one kg ha -1 ) and NK (KNO 3, one kg ha -1 ) at 5 g L -1 30 days after sowing, as treatments T 9
and T10, respectively. During 2021, total rainfall received was 74% higher (897 mm) than
the mean annual rainfall of the location. The crop was sown during October 2021 with
receipt of 55.5 mm of rainfall prior to sowing. Crop season rainfall was 270 mm, which
was 88% higher than the normal rabi season average rainfall of 65 years. The crop
growth wasbelow normal during 2021-22 due to excess rain (217.5 mm) in November
2021.
Results
The treatment T 8 with application of recommended rate of fertilizer, biofertilizers and zinc,
produced significantly higher grain yield (973 kg ha -1 ), straw yield (1297 kg ha -1 ), total dry
matter production (2269 kg ha -1 ) and water use efficiency (WUE) of 3.48 kg ha -1 mm -1
over T 2, T 3 and T 1. Among the treatments having farmer's rate of fertilizer the treatment T 5
with biofertilizers and zinc application produced higher grain yield (848 kg ha -1 ), straw
yield (1130 kg ha -1 ), total dry matter production (1978 kg ha -1 ) and water use efficiency
(WUE) of 3.03 kg ha -1 mm -1 over T 1. The grain yield, straw yield, total dry matter
Sustainable soil management for resilient rainfed agro-ecosystem: conservation agriculture, organic farming,
INM, soil-microorganisms-plant interactions
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