Effect of Liquid Organic Foliar Spray on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Rainfed Condition

Aims: Foliar nutrition is aimed to eliminate the problems of fixation and immobilization of nutrients. Hence, foliar nutrition is being recognized as a significant way of fertilizing modern agriculture, especially under rainfed conditions. Liquid organic manures are the concoctions of micro and macronutrients that also contain vitamins, amino acids, growth-promoting substances, and beneficial microbes. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications. Place and Duration of Study: A field experiment was conducted in medium black soils at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Vijayapur, during Rabi, 2020-21. Methodology: There were fifteen treatment combinations, consisting of five organic sources (vermiwash @ 10%, cowurine @ 10%, jeevamrutha @ 25%, bio digester filtrate @ 25% and urea @ 2%) in main plots and three stage of application (pre flowering, pod initiation and pre flowering + pod initiation) in sub plots for JG-11 variety of chickpea. Results: Foliar application of jeevamrutha @ 25% both at pre flowering and at pod initiation stages recorded significantly greater dry matter accumulation in leaves, stem and reproductive parts, higher SPAD values, number of pods plant-1 (46.5), grain weight plant-1 (9.45 g), harvest index (2198 kg ha-1). Soil dehydrogenase activity, protein content and protein yield parameters also showed higher values for the same treatment along with the major nutrient uptake. A significant reduction in the observation of pest load of chickpeas at pod development stage was noticed by the application of treatment. Conclusion: Foliar application of liquid organic manures, either jeevamrutha @ 25% or cow urine @ 10% both at pre-flowering and at pod initiation stages helped to increase growth, growth attributes like dry matter accumulation, SPAD values, yield attributes, protein content, dehydrogenase activity, major nutrient uptake and reduction of pest load in chickpea.