Effect of land configuration and nutrient management methods on growth and yield of blackgram (Vigna mungo)

Pulse require less water than other crops. It plays a significant role in combating soil erosion and degradation. Pulses are the main sources of dietary protein in the vegetarian diet in our country. They preserve soil fertility by biological nitrogen fixation in the soil, as well as being a rich source of protein and thus play a vital role in sustainable agriculture. In Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Delta Zone (CDZ) has a total land area of 1.45 million ha which is equivalent to 11% of the state area and this zone is the potential zone for pulse cultivation. The cultivation of blackgram faces many problems like water logging and inadequate aeration, which affect the growth and yield in flatbed conditionsadversely. Further the major causes of poor productivity and soil fertility are imbalanced application of nutrients. Hence there is a need to evaluate the appropriate land configuration and nutrient management methods. The field experiment was performed at Soil and Water Management Research Institute, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, during the summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 in split plot design with four replications. In main plot three land configuration methods viz., broadcasting seeds and forming ridges (30 cm width), broad bed (100 cm width), flatbed and in sub plot three nutrient management methods viz., control (S₁), recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) (S₂), RDF+biofertilizers (S₃) in a plot size of 40 m². In all the land configuration methods 30 cm row spacing is adopted. Line sowing is followed in broad bed (M₂) and flat bed method (M₃). In broadcasting seeds and forming ridges (M₁) the seeds will be broadcasted after land preparation and ridges (30 cm) will be formed with ridge former. Uniform seed rate is adopted in all the methods. Sowing of blackgram in broad beds along with 100% RDF + biofertilizers was found to be superior over flat bed and broadcasting seeds and forming ridges by producing higher grain yield and B:C ratio and achieved the higher productivity and profitability.