Conduct agronomic studies for optimization of nutrient requirements of 2-3 released chickpea varieties

Abstract

Summarizing the effect of rehizobium, location and varieties on the biological and economic responses of chickpea as summarized in the Tables below is inspiring. The results indicated that chickpea yield can be improved through proper rhizobium inoculation as different rhizobial strains had a pronounced effect on grain yield, yield components, nodulation, total N uptake, and amount of nitrogen fixed in the shoot part of the plant as compared to non-inoculated treatments. Indigenous rhizobium strain ICRE-05 and ICRE-03 was found to have a more significant effect on most of the studied parameters, followed by ICRE-025. These results indicated that the indigenous chickpea rhizobial strains used in this study are better adapted to the soil environment and survived in adequate numbers as compared to the commercial inoculants EAL-029. ICRE-03, ICRE-05 and ICRE-025 and EAL-029. These three strains not only increased the chickpea yields but also enhanced the shoot nitrogen content which in turn could increase protein content of the seed. This is particularly important in that these strains could be used for inoculation to increase the number of inoculants of chickpea in the study area of the country and hence could be further studied on a wider range of soils to evaluate the likelihood of its successful incorporation into the existing cropping system.