PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF PIGEONPEA (CAJANUS CAJAN (L.) MILLSP.) AS INFLUENCED BY PLANT GEOMETRY AND IRRIGATION SCHEDULES

Y.M. WAGHMARE¹, D.N. GOKHALE², A.S. CHAVAN³*
¹Department of Agronomy, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, 431 402, India
²Department of Agronomy, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, 431 402, India
³Department of Agronomy, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat 396450, India
* Corresponding Author : vaishu.surve@nau.in

Received : 12-02-2016     Accepted : 03-03-2016     Published : 14-05-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 16       Pages : 1287 - 1289
Int J Agr Sci 8.16 (2016):1287-1289

Keywords : Pigeon pea, Plant geometry, Irrigation, Paired row planting
Academic Editor : Monalisha Biswal, Jigar H. Patel
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

A field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Parbhani during kharif season of 2012-13 and 2013-14. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three main plot treatments and four sub plot treatments. The main plot treatments were irrigation schedules as rain fed (no irrigation), two irrigations (at bud initiation and pod development stage) and three irrigations (at bud initiation, flowering and pod development stage). Sub plot treatments were four plant geometries i.e. 120 x 45 cm, 60-120 x 60 cm, 75-150 x 45 cm and 90-180 x 45 cm. All the growth, yield and yield attributes viz., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area, number of branches, dry matter production, number of pods plant-1, seed yield (q ha-1), straw yield (q ha-1), gross monetary returns (Rs ha-1), net monetary returns (Rs ha-1)and benefit to cost ratio were significantly higher with application of three irrigation (I2) treatment than two irrigation (I1) and rain fed pigeon pea (I0).The plant geometry of 90-180 x 45 cm recorded significantly higher number of functional leaves, leaf area, number of branches, dry matter, pods plant-1, pod weight (g) and seed yield plant-1 during both the years but plant height, seed yield (q ha-1), straw yield (q ha-1), gross monetary returns (Rs ha-1), net monetary returns (Rs ha-1)and benefit to cost ratio were higher with plant geometry of 75-150 x 45 cm than any other due to higher plant population ha-1. Treatment combination of three irrigations (I2) with 75-150 x 45 cm plant geometry recorded significantly higher seed yield (q ha-1), net monetary returns (Rs ha-1)and benefit to cost ratio during both the years. Interaction effects of irrigation and plant geometries on different growth, yield and yield attributes were not visible during both the years of experimentation.