Archana, B., Sampath O., Suneetha Devi K.B. and Ravi P.
Abstract
The experiment was conducted at Agricultural College, Polasa, Jagitial, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Telangana, India during the rabi season (November, 2019-March, 2020) to study the influence of land configurations and mulching on moisture conservation and nodulation effect on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Three land configurations were used in the experiment as the main plots namely; M1- Flat bed, M2- Ridge and furrow, M3- Broad bed and furrow and four mulching treatments were used as subplots viz., S1- Control, S2- Sesamum mulch, S3- Gliricidia mulch, S4- Paddy straw mulch. The experiment was set up in a split plot design and was replicated thrice. Results revealed that the moisture content at different depths (0-15, 15-30, 30-45 cm) and at 20 days interval until 100 days, broad bed and furrow land configuration and Gliricidia mulch recorded higher moisture content compared to other treatments. Highest water productivity of (0.67 kg m-3, 0.64 kg m-3), root nodules per plant and dry weight of nodules per plant was recorded in broad bed and furrow land configuration and Gliricidia mulch respectively. Comparatively lowest water productivity, root nodules per plant and dry weight of nodules per plant was recorded in Flat bed land configuration and with no mulch.