Influence of Irrigation Scheduling and Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield and Quality of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops cultivated in semiarid and sub-tropical regions and serves as a major source of dietary protein while improving soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. India is one of the leading chickpeaproducing countries, highlighting its importance in food and nutritional security [1] . The crop is well adapted to rainfed conditions due to its relatively low water requirement and its symbiotic association with Rhizobium, which enhances soil nitrogen status [2] . However, the productivity of chickpea in semi-arid regions remains constrained due to erratic rainfall, limited soil moisture and sub-optimal nutrient management. Moisture stress during critical stages such as flowering and pod formation significantly reduces growth, nodulation and yield [3] . Therefore, efficient irrigation scheduling is essential to maintain optimum soil moisture for better crop performance. Irrigation scheduling based on IW/CPE ratio is widely used to match crop water requirement with atmospheric demand. Moderate IW/CPE ratios (0.6-0.8) have been reported to improve growth and yield of chickpea under semi-arid conditions [4] . In addition, integrated nutrient management (INM) involving the combined use of chemical fertilizers, organic manures and biofertilizers improves nutrient availability, soil health and microbial activity, thereby enhancing crop productivity [5] . Water and nutrient management are closely interrelated, as soil moisture influences nutrient availability and uptake, while nutrient status affects root development and water extraction [6] .

Combined application of irrigation and INM has been reported to improve productivity and economic returns compared to their individual application [6] . However, limited information is available on their combined effect under semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of irrigation scheduling and integrated nutrient management on growth, yield, quality and economics of chickpea under semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2025-26 at the Agricultural Farm, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. The experimental soil was loamy sand in texture with a pH of 8.22, electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.39 dS m⁻¹, organic carbon of 0.21%, and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of 132.87, 20.64 and 238.10 kg ha⁻¹, respectively. The study was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, comprising four irrigation treatments in main plots viz., I₁: no post-sowing irrigation, I₂: two irrigations at vegetative and pod formation stages, I₃: three irrigations scheduled based on IW/CPE ratio of 0.6 and I₄: five irrigations scheduled based on IW/CPE ratio of 0.8. The sub-plots consisted of four integrated nutrient management treatments viz., N₁: 100% RDF (Recommended Dose of Fertilizer), N₂: 75% RDF + FYM (Farm Yard Manure) @ 5 t ha⁻¹, N₃: 50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ and N₄: 50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + PSB (Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria). Chickpea variety GNG-1581 (developed by Agricultural Research Station, Sriganganagar) was sown on 12 November 2025 by line sowing using a seed rate of 80 kg ha⁻¹ with a row spacing of 30 cm. The recommended dose of fertilizers (20:40:20 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha⁻¹) was applied through urea, DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) and MOP (Muriate of Potash). Organic manures were applied at the time of sowing as per treatments, while biofertilizers (Rhizobium and PSB) were applied as seed inoculation prior to sowing. Irrigation was applied through the furrow method with a depth of 50 mm in accordance with treatment schedules. All other agronomic practices were kept uniform across treatments. The crop was harvested on 20 March 2026. Observations on growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were recorded following standard procedures. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) appropriate for split-plot design, and treatment means were compared at 5% level of significance using critical difference (CD).

Results

Effect of irrigation scheduling

Irrigation scheduling significantly influenced growth, yield attributes, yield and economics of chickpea. Among treatments, I₄ (IW/CPE ratio 0.8) recorded the highest seed yield (1651.89 kg ha⁻¹), haulm yield (2495.11 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (4147.00 kg ha⁻¹), followed by I₃, while the lowest values were observed under I₁ (control) (Table 1). Economic analysis indicated that I₄ recorded the highest net returns (₹ 47874.07 ha⁻¹) and Benefit-to-Cost (B:C) ratio (2.03), followed by I₃ (₹ 33691.18 ha⁻¹; B:C ratio 1.75), whereas the lowest was observed under I₁ (B:C ratio 1.33) (Table 1). Among treatments, I₄ also recorded significantly higher dry matter accumulation at all crop growth stages (11.0, 41.75 and 49.0 g plant⁻¹ at 40 days after sowing (DAS), 80 DAS and at harvest, respectively), whereas the lowest values were recorded under I₁ (control) (Table 2). However, protein content was not significantly influenced by irrigation treatments (Table 2). A similar trend was observed for yield attributes; the highest number of pods plant⁻¹ (50.06), seeds pod⁻¹ (1.82) and seed index (20.99 g) were recorded under I₄ (Table 3).

Effect of integrated nutrient management (INM)

Integrated nutrient management significantly influenced growth, yield attributes, yield and economics of chickpea. Among treatments, N₄ (50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + PSB) recorded the highest seed yield (1519.74 kg ha⁻¹), haulm yield (2310.04 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (3829.78 kg ha⁻¹), which was superior to all other treatments, while the lowest values were recorded under N₁ (Table 1). Economic analysis showed that N₄ recorded the highest net returns (₹ 38470.92 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.79), followed by N₃ (B:C ratio 1.63), whereas the lowest was observed under N₁ (B:C ratio 1.52) (Table 1). Among treatments, N₄ also recorded significantly higher dry matter accumulation (10.0, 37.25 and 44.56 g plant⁻¹ at 40 DAS, 80 DAS and at harvest, respectively), followed by N₃, whereas the lowest values were observed under N₁ (Table 2). Protein content (19.62%) and protein yield (299.11 kg ha⁻¹) were also highest under N₄ (Table 2). The highest number of pods plant⁻¹ (44.38), seeds pod⁻¹ (1.72) and seed index (20.58 g) were recorded under N₄ (Table 3).

Interaction effect of irrigation scheduling and INM (I × N)

The interaction between irrigation scheduling and INM significantly influenced seed yield of chickpea (Table 4). Among all treatment combinations, I₄N₄ (IW/CPE ratio 0.8 + 50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + PSB) recorded the highest seed yield of 2054.15 kg ha⁻¹, which was significantly superior to all other combinations. The lowest seed yield (825.07 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded under I₁N₁ (no post-sowing irrigation + 100% RDF alone). Within each irrigation level, I₄ consistently produced the highest seed yield, and within each INM treatment, N₄ consistently recorded the highest yield.

Discussion

The present study demonstrated that irrigation scheduling significantly improved growth, yield and economic returns of chickpea. The consistently superior performance under I₄ (IW/CPE ratio 0.8) affirms that maintaining optimal soil moisture through judicious irrigation scheduling is crucial for achieving high chickpea productivity under semi-arid conditions. Adequate moisture availability during vegetative and reproductive stages supports better root development, enhanced nutrient uptake, improved photosynthetic efficiency and greater assimilate production, all of which contribute to higher yield [3,4] . The improvement in yield attributes such as pods plant⁻¹ and seeds pod⁻¹ under higher IW/CPE ratios further substantiates the role of timely and adequate irrigation in reducing reproductive stage stress. These findings are in conformity with the findings of Singh et al. [4] and Patel et al. [7] . The superiority of N₄ (50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + PSB) over other INM treatments can be attributed to the synergistic effects of organic, inorganic and biological nutrient sources. Vermicompost improves soil physical properties and provides a slow-release source of nutrients, while biofertilizers such as Rhizobium enhance biological nitrogen fixation and PSB increases phosphorus availability, collectively improving soil nutrient status and root activity [2] . The combined application also enhances microbial biomass and enzyme activity, thereby improving nutrient cycling and long-term soil health. Despite recording slightly higher seed yield, treatment combination I₂N₃ registered lower net returns than I₂N₂ due to the higher cost involved in vermicompost application under integrated nutrient management, which offset the additional economic gain from yield improvement. Similar findings have been reported by Sharma et al. [5] , Meena et al. [8] and Rathore et al. [9] . The significant and positive interaction effect of I₄ × N₄ on seed yield and economics of chickpea can be attributed to the complementary roles of adequate moisture supply and balanced nutrition. Adequate soil moisture facilitates better nutrient dissolution and transport to root surfaces, while good nutritional status promotes root proliferation and water use efficiency. The highest seed yield (2054.15 kg ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (2.33) recorded under I₄N₄ indicate that the combination of optimum irrigation and integrated nutrient management not only maximizes productivity but also ensures economic sustainability for chickpea cultivators under semi-arid conditions. These findings are in broad agreement with those of Patel et al. [10] and Singh et al. [6] .

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the present investigation, it is concluded that among irrigation treatments, I₄ (IW/CPE ratio 0.8) recorded the highest seed yield (1651.89 kg ha⁻¹), haulm yield (2495.11 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (4147.00 kg ha⁻¹) along with maximum B:C ratio (2.03). Among integrated nutrient management treatments, N₄ (50% RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha⁻¹ + Rhizobium + PSB) proved superior, producing the highest seed yield (1519.74 kg ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.79). The interaction I₄N₄ was the most productive and economically viable combination, with seed yield of 2054.15 kg ha⁻¹ and B:C ratio of 2.33, highlighting the synergistic role of optimum moisture supply and integrated nutrient application for improving chickpea productivity and profitability under semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan. Future research should investigate the long-term effect of these treatments on soil health and explore their performance across different agro-climatic zones and chickpea varieties to validate and broaden the findings.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgmentsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the support extended by the Department of Agriculture, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan for providing the experimental facilities. We declare no conflict of interest in relation to the present study.

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