Yield and Quality Response of Chickpea Cultivars to Different NPK Levels

Abstract

There is a wrong perception with the farmers that gram being a legume crop does not need any nutrition. They usually grow it without supplying any fertilizer and get very low yield. The study was planned to observe the effects of NPK fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of gram cultivars to exploit their full genetic potential. The experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Research Station, Harahan, Pakistan during the winter season of 2015-16. It was laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement having three blocks keeping gram cultivars (Karak-1, KC-98 and Punjab-2009) in main plot and fertilizer application levels (0,0,0; 30,0,0; 30,60,0; and 30,60,30 Kg NPK ha- 1) in sub plot. It was observed that Punjab-2009 surpassed other two cultivars in grain yield, when it fertilized with NPK @ 30,60,0 Kg haha_-1 due to taller in height, more number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, biological yield and seed protein content and profitable. However, exceeding above this fertilizer combination of NPK proved to be uneconomical.

Keywords: Gram; Cultivars; NPK Fertilizer application; Yield; Contributing parameters

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) commonly known as gram is an important conventional pulse of Pakistan. During 2010-11, gram was cultivated on 1094 thousand hectare with total production of 760 thousand tons, which was 60% higher as compared to previous year [1]. This low average seed yield of gram in Pakistan is low as compared to other gram growing countries of the world like China (3333 kg ha_-1), Lebanon (2310 kg ha_-1), Tunisia (1968 kg ha_-1) and Egypt (1790 kg ha_-1) [2]. This is probably due to the fact that gram is cultivated on marginal lands. The use of varieties/cultivars with low yield potential also limits gram yield to a considerable extent [3]. There is considerable difference among different cultivars of gram regarding yield potential due to response of NPK fertilization. High yielding cultivars usually have extensive root system, taller in height [4,5], relatively more number of pods and grains per pod [6]. These cultivars consequently give higher grain [7] and biological yield [8,9] with better protein contents [10,11]. If we just replace our present cultivars with high yield potential cultivars which are very response to heavy fertilization and may enhance our yield per unit area up to 8-12 %, it can play a pivotal role in increasing the grain yield per unit area [3,12].

There is also a wrong perception with the farmers that gram being a legume crop does not need any nutrition. They usually grow it without supplying any fertilizer, where as it is evident from the literature that application of NPK have beneficial effect on gram yield [13,14]. But the question that how much NPK should be applied to which cultivar still remains unquenchable. This depends upon the final grain yield [15] and its contributing components [6] whether it is profitable combination or not [10]. Present study was, therefore, planned to study the effect of NPK fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of gram cultivars under the irrigated conditions of Faisalabad.

Materials and Methods

Investigations to see the effect of varying levels of NPK on growth, yield and quality performance of three chickpea cultivars were carried out at the Agricultural Research Station, Harichand, Pakistan during the winter season of 2015-16. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot

arrangement having three blocks keeping gram cultivars (Karak-1, KC-98 and Punjab-2009) in main plot and fertilizer application levels (0,0,0; 30,0,0; 30,60,0; and 30,60,30 Kg NPK ha_-1) in sub plot. Net plot size was 1.6 m x 7.0 m.

Crop was shown on 9th October, 2015 using seed rate of 40 kg ha_-1 with the help of single row hand drill at 40 cm spaced rows. A fertilizer dose of N @ 25 Kg ha_-1 along with different levels of PK were side dressed after sowing.

All other agronomic practices were kept uniform for all the treatments. As far as the observations taken, plant height was taken by selecting ten plants randomly from each plot and measured from base up to tip of the plant at maturity and then average was calculated. To determine the 1000-grain weight, three samples of 1000-seeds were selected at random from seed lot of each experimental unit and were weighed separately with the help of an electric balance. Then average of these readings was taken. The crop was harvested and sun-dried for five days in the field. After that its biological weight from each subplot was recorded and then converted on hectare basis. Seed yield of each plot was recorded by threshing harvesting plants manually and then converted into Kg ha_-1. For seed protein content, 500 seeds from each plot were taken and ground. Digestion of ground samples was done by Gunning and Hibbard’s method of sulfuric acid [16]. Then distillation was done with micro Kjeldahl’s apparatus and nitrogen in each sample was determined. Thereafter, N of each sample was multiplied by a factor 0.25 to calculate the seed protein contents. An economic analysis was carried out on the basis of variable and prevailing market prices of N, P, K fertilizers and maize grain yield. Net income was calculated by subtracting the total variable cost from the total benefits from each treatment combination.

The pooled data was analyzed by using the methodology described in [17]. Data collected were analyzed statistically by using Fisher’s analysis of variance techniques, while significance of treatment means were tested by using least significant difference test at 5% level of probability [18].

Results and Discussion

The data revealed that cultivars differed significantly from one cultivar to another with respect to plant height. Significantly more plant height (105.7 cm) was recorded in variety Punjab-2009 as compared to variety Karak-1which gave a plant height of 85.02 cm. previously similar results have been reported by [4,5]. Application of fertilizer affected significantly plant height of gram. Minimum plant height (92.57 cm) was recorded in the crop grown without fertilizer application. These results are similar to the findings of the [3,12]. Fertilizer levels and cultivars interaction was found to be non significant on plant height.

There was significant variation among gram cultivars and fertilizer levels regarding the parameters of number of seeds per pod. Among cultivars, KC-98 significantly produced the highest (2.76) number of seeds pod-1 than other cultivars. Similarly, the highest number of seeds pod-1 was produced (2.66) at fertilizer level of 30-60-30 kg NPK ha_-1 while significantly the lowest (2.53) obtained without fertilizer application. The interaction between cultivars and fertilizer levels under study was observed to be non-significant to number of seeds per pod. [6] Also reported that increasing levels of NPK increased settings of pods, number of seeds per pod, and finally number of seeds per plant.

There was significant variation among fertilizer levels on 1000-grain weight of gram cultivars. Gram cultivars showed the significant results in which Karak-1 produced the highest 1000-grain weight (282 g) while it was significantly decreased in Punjab-2009 (171 g). The treatment fertilized @ 30-60-30 kg NPK ha_-1 exhibited higher 1000-grain weight (237 g) which was statistically at par with the treatment given 30-60-0 kg NPK ha_-1. Significantly the lowest 1000-grain weight (230 g) was observed in control treatment. Similar results have been narrated by [6,14]. Interactive effects of fertilizer levels and cultivars on 1000-grain weight were non-significant.

There was significant variation among fertilizer levels and cultivars regarding biological yield. Punjab-2009 surpassed other two varieties (Karak-1 and KC-98) in respect of biological yield (5033 Kg ha_-1). There was also significant variation among different fertilizer application levels regarding biological yield. The highest biological yield (5458 Kg ha_-1) was recorded, when 30, 60, 30 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, which was statistically at par with biological yield (5428 Kg ha_-1), when 30,60,0 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, while the lowest biological yield (4256 Kg ha_-1) was recorded in control. Interactive effects of gram hybrids and fertilizer application levels were found to be significant. The highest biological yield was recorded when Punjab-2009 gram variety was fertilized with 30,0,0 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, whereas the lowest biological yield (5000 Kg ha_-1) was observed when Karak-1 was grown without any fertilizer. These results are in line with the observations of [8,9].

There was significant variation among fertilizer levels and cultivars regarding grain yield. Punjab-2009 surpassed other two varieties (Karak-1 and KC-98) in respect of grain yield (1922 Kg ha_-1). There was also significant variation among different fertilizer application levels regarding grain yield. The highest grain yield (2162 Kg ha_-1) was recorded, when 30, 60, 30 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, which was statistically at par with grain yield (2126 Kg ha_-1), when 30,60,0 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, while the lowest grain yield (1481 Kg ha_-1) was recorded in control. Interactive effects of gram hybrids and fertilizer application levels were found to be significant. The highest grain yield (2267 Kg ha_-1) was recorded when Punjab-2009 gram variety was fertilized with 30,60,0 Kg NPK ha_-1 was applied, whereas the lowest grain yield (1455 Kg ha_-1) was observed when Karak-1 was grown without any fertilizer. These results are in line with the findings of [7,10,13] who stated that gram cultivars differed significantly in their genetic potential and this potential was further widened with application of chemical fertilizers (NPK) in different combinations (Table 1).

  

    
Treatment 
    
Plant    height (cm) 
    
No. of    seed plant-1 
    
1000-seed    weight (g) 
    
Seed    yield (kg ha-1) 
    
Biomass    yield (kgha-1) 
    
Seed    protein (%) 
    
Net    income (Rs. ha-1) 
  
  

    
Cultivars    (C) 
  
  

    
Karak-1 
    
85.02c 
    
73.26a 
    
281.08a 
    
1838.89b 
    
4957.14b 
    
21.92b 
    
44345b 
  
  

    
KC-98 
    
100.04b 
    
45.63c 
    
250.08b 
    
1745.60c 
    
4902.96b 
    
21.02c 
    
42012c 
  
  

    
Punjab-2009 
    
105.74a 
    
65.20b 
    
170.92c 
    
1922.71a 
    
5033.54a 
    
22.47a 
    
46440a 
  
  

    
LSD 
    
5.40* 
    
7.25* 
    
30.25* 
    
83.258* 
    
74.256* 
    
0.537* 
    
19865** 
  
  

    
Fertilizer    application (NPK kg ha-1) (F) 
  
  

    
F0:    0,0,0 
    
92.57c 
    
50.51c 
    
230.11b 
    
1481.27c 
    
4256.49c 
    
19.68c 
    
37005c 
  
  

    
F1:    30,0,0 
    
95.29bc 
    
57.93b 
    
232.22b 
    
1571.94b 
    
4754.38b 
    
21.01b 
    
38810b 
  
  

    
F2:    30,60,0 
    
98.58ab 
    
67.81a 
    
236.44a 
    
2126.62a 
    
5428.39a 
    
23.33a 
    
51022a 
  
  

    
F3:    30,60,30 
    
101.30a 
    
69.21a 
    
237.33a 
    
2162.11a 
    
5458.93a 
    
23.19a 
    
51283a 
  
  

    
LSD 
    
2.7012* 
    
9.820* 
    
4.20* 
    
90.635* 
    
497.258* 
    
1.32* 
    
1804* 
  
  

    
Interaction    (C X F) 
  
  

    
C1 x F0 
    
78.80 
    
58.96d 
    
276.66 
    
1453.80g 
    
4200.43g 
    
19.82h 
    
34720g 
  
  

    
C1 x F1 
    
83.73 
    
69.13bc 
    
280.00 
    
1562.83e 
    
4356.33ef 
    
19.08i 
    
37770e 
  
  

    
C1 x F2 
    
87.50 
    
81.53a 
    
283.33 
    
2152.56bc 
    
4212.70fg 
    
20.13h 
    
36730f 
  
  

    
C1 x F3 
    
90.06 
    
83.43a 
    
284.33 
    
2186.36ab 
    
4696.17d 
    
21.05f 
    
36958f 
  
  

    
C2 x F0 
    
95.10 
    
39.67f 
    
246.67 
    
1455.80f 
    
4456.47d 
    
20.54g 
    
34913f 
  
  

    
C2 x F1 
    
98.26 
    
40.68f 
    
248.33 
    
1474.83fg 
    
5200.53c 
    
21.46e 
    
50070b 
  
  

    
C2 x F2 
    
101.73 
    
49.53e 
    
251.67 
    
1959.36b 
    
5397.57b 
    
23.69b 
    
50290b 
  
  

    
C2 x F3 
    
105.06 
    
52.65e 
    
253.66 
    
2092.30b 
    
5500.53b 
    
22.68b 
    
45240d 
  
  

    
C3 x F0 
    
103.80 
    
52.90e 
    
167.00 
    
1534.23fg 
    
5477.06b 
    
24.11a 
    
50290b 
  
  

    
C3 x F1 
    
103.86 
    
63.97cd 
    
168.33 
    
2267.93a 
    
5654.40a 
    
24.18a 
    
52955a 
  
  

    
C3 x F2 
    
106.53 
    
72.36b 
    
174.33 
    
1681.03d 
    
5388.53b 
    
22.27d 
    
49140c 
  
  

    
C3 x F3 
    
108.76 
    
71.56b 
    
174.00 
    
2207.66ab 
    
5333.86b 
    
23.12c 
    
50823b 
  
  

    
LSD 
    
NS 
    
5.423* 
    
NS 
    
62.35* 
    
210.368* 
    
0.85* 
    
930* 
  
  

    
The    means not sharing a letter differ significantly at 0.05 level of probability. 
      
*:    Significant; Ns: Not significant.
  

Table 1:  Influence of NPK levels on yield and quality of gram cultivars.