Effect of tillage, mulching and weed management practices on the performance and economics of chickpea

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of tillage, mulching and weed management practices on growth, yield and uptake of nutrients by chickpea during rabi 2010 and 2011 at MARS, UAS Dharwad, Karnataka. Conventional tillage increased various growth, yield parameters and chickpea yield and also nutrient uptake and nitrogen use efficiency over minimum and zero tillage practices. Significantly higher gross return, net return and B:C ratio were recorded in conventional tillage as compared to minimum and zero tillage practices. Mulching practice showed higher growth, yield and yield parameters of chickpea and also nutrient uptake and economics over minimum and zero tillage practices. Significantly higher growth, chickpea yield and yield parameters, nutrient uptake, gross return, net return and B:C ratio were recorded in application of pendimethalin as compared to other weed management practices.