Effect of Irrigation and Moisture Conservation Practices on nutrient content and uptake of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

In the rabi season of 2024-25, a field experiment entitled “Effect of Irrigation and Moisture Conservation Practices on nutrient content and uptake of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)” was conducted at the Agronomy Instructional Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur, Rajasthan. The experimental field comprised clay loam soil with medium fertility status. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design, main plot treatments included four irrigation schedules: no irrigation (I0), irrigation at pre-flowering (I1), at pod formation (I2) and at both pre-flowering and pod formation stages (I3). The sub-plot treatments comprised four moisture conservation practices: control (M0), hydrogel @ 2.5 kg ha-1 (M1), dust mulch (M2) and maize stover mulch (M3) with three replications. The results revealed that irrigation at pre-flowering and pod formation stages (I3) significantly enhanced nutrient content and uptake. The highest nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents in seed (3.65%, 0.36% and 0.78%, respectively) and haulm (1.40%, 0.25% and 1.59%, respectively) were recorded under I3. Among moisture conservation practices, maize stover mulch (M3) and hydrogel (M1) significantly improved nutrient concentrations. Nutrient uptake by seed and haulm was also maximized under irrigation at pre-flowering and pod formation and maize stover mulch, with total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake reaching 132.59, 18.86 and 80.24 kg ha-1, respectively. These results highlight the synergistic role of optimal irrigation and effective moisture conservation in improving nutrient dynamics in chickpea.