Enhancement of Productivity and Profitability of Chickpea Cicerarietinuml As Well as Soil Fertility of Coarse Textured Soils Through Potassium Fertilization

Abstract

A series of field experiments, Demonstrations and On Farm Trials (OFT’s) were conducted during 2012-13 to 2017-18 at the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal, Haryana, India and on the farmers’ fields to study the response of chickpea to potassium fertilization in coarse textured medium K status soils of South- Western Haryana, India. For research experiments, there were six graded levels of potassium application viz., 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg K2O ha-1 laid out in randomized block design with four replications. The results of field experiments showed that chickpea seed yield increased significantly with application of potassium at 20 kg K2O ha-1. The increase in mean seed yield was 6.12, 13.87, 16.90, 18.59 and 19.88 per cent due to application of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg K2O ha-1, respectively over control. Potassium fertilization also significantly increased the total K uptake by chickpea at each level of potassium application and helped in preventing the depletion of available soil K and enhanced its content in the soil. The mean K use efficiency varied from 43.60 to 58.00 per cent, being maximum with application of 20 kg K2O ha-1 (58.00%). The mean economic data analysis revealed that benefit-cost ratio also increased with potassium application and the additional returns per rupee invested on K at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 kg K2O ha-1 levels of potassium were Rs. 16.96, 20.06, 15.02, 12.19 and 11.46, respectively. Based on the results of field experiments, on farm trials and demonstrations were conducted during 2015-16 and 2017-18, respectively, on the farmers’ fields with only two treatments i.e. 0 and 20 kg K2O ha-1, with plot size of 0.2 ha under each treatment. On an average, the application of 20 kg K2O ha-1 increased the chickpea yield over control (K0) by 10.15 to 15.90 per cent under OFT’s and Demonstrations.