Vol. 12, Issue 3 (2023)

Author(s):
Vijay S Gavande, Vishal S Bhakde and Avinash N Gawate

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted on a clayey soil at Agriculture Technical School, Aurangabad, Aurangabad district of Maharashtra during the Kharif seasons of 2019-2020 to study the soil moisture regime in pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp] under irrigated and rainfed condition." Rainfall received during experimental period was 659.7 mm with 44 rainy days during Kharif 2019. The experiment was conducted in factorial randomized block design with two factors viz., varieties (V₁-BDN-711, V₂-BSMR-736, V₃-BDN-716) and five treatment stages (I irrigation at bud initiation (I₁), irrigation at pod development (I₂), irrigation at bud initiation + pod development (I₃) opening of furrow after two rows at 60 DAS (I₄), rainfed treatment (I₅),) with 15 treatments combinations. Each experimental unit was repeated three times 5.40 X 5.40 m² size in gross plot and in net plot 3.60 m x 4.60 m with 90 x 20 cm spacing. Sowing was done on 2 ^nd July 2019. The fertilizer dose of 25:50:00NPK kg ha^-1 was applied after sowing. Amongst varieties, BDN-716 recorded maximum seed yield (1602 kg ha ^-1) and net monitory returns (54835 Rs ha^-1) than BSMR-736(1432 kg ha ^-1, 46121 Rs ha^-1) and BDN-711(1298 kg ha^-1, 39269 Rs ha^-1) respectively. Amongst irrigation stages, two irrigations at bud initiation + pod development recorded significantly maximum seed yield (1805 kg ha^-1) and NMR (64644 Rs ha ^-1) followed by irrigation at pod development((1652 kg ha^-1, 57113 Rs ha -1)), irrigation at bud initiation((1463 kg ha^-1, 47428 Rs ha^-1)), opening of furrow after two rows at 60 DAS((1232 kg ha^-1, 36259 Rs ha^-1)) and rainfed treatment((1068 kg ha ^-1, 28265 Rs ha^-1)) respectively. Highest water use efficiency was observed under irrigation at pod development (27.53 kg ha^-1 mm^-1) followed by irrigation at bud initiation (24.38 kg ha^-1 mm^-1) and two irrigations at bud initiation + pod development (15.04 kg ha ^-1mm^-1).