Integrated foliar application of potassium with soil applied nitrogen and phosphorus improves productivity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

Optimal nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization can enhance growth and yield of chickpea. However, little is known on nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization supplemented with foliar application of potassium on productivity of chickpea. Therefore, a study was designed with the aim to explore–efficiency of soil applied nitrogen and phosphorus in combination with foliar potassium nutrition on performance of chickpea. The chickpea cultivar Bittle-98 was grown in plastic pots filled with 10 kg of soil following Randomized Complete Design (RCBD). Various treatments comprising control (T1), nitrogen 160mg/pot (T2), phosphorus 385mg/pot (T3), nitrogen 160mg/pot + 0.75% K2SO4 foliar (T4), phosphorus 385mg/pot +0.75% K2SO4 foliar (T5), and nitrogen 160mg/pot + phosphorus 385mg/pot+0.75% K2SO4 foliar (T6) were tested. The T6 resulted in maximum plant height (64.37cm), number of pods per plant (45.46), seeds per pod (1.40) 100-seed weight (18.03g), SPAD counts (34.52), seed yield (35.80g/pot), and biological yield (85.24g/pot) than rest of the treatments. The yield in response to T3 was significantly higher than T2, mainly because of higher pods frequency, indicating that phosphorus is more imperative than nitrogen to harvest maximum yield of chickpea. The yield obtained was in the order of T6>T5>T4>T3>T2. It is revealed that soil applied nitrogen plus phosphorus supplemented with foliar potassium is an effective strategy to harvest higher yield of chickpea. Recommended soil application of nitrogen and phosphorus with foliar 0.5% K2SO4 is suggested to harvest maximum yield of chickpea.