Performance of garden pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars under organic mulching in North Eastern India

Abstract

In spite of having favourable soil and agro-climatic conditions in the NorthEastern Region (NER) for pulse cultivation, NER’s average productivity (848 kg ha-1 ) is lower than the national average (885 kg ha-1 ). Due to non-adherence of suitable water conservation strategies, severe water scarcity during post-monsoon season is being felt which forces the farmers to leave their land fallow during winter months after rainy season rice cultivation. Under these scenarios, an agronomic trial was taken up during 2022-23 winter season in a split plot design with four main plot treatments (mulches), viz., no-mulch, paddy straw mulch, maize stover mulch and weed mulch, applied @ 5 t ha-1 and four sub-plot treatments (cultivars), viz., Arkel, Punjab 89, Pusa Pragati and Pusa Prabal. This trial was replicated thrice. Best results were registered for organic mulching with paddy straw mulch followed by weed mulch, maize stover mulch. Water productivity, soil moisture (%), green pod yield, and benefit cost ratio were recorded highest under paddy straw mulch as, 34.81 kg ha-1 mm-1 , 12.11%, 8.51 t ha-1 and 3.96, respectively. Similarly, the highest green pod yield, water productivity and benefit cost ratio were recorded under cultivar Punjab 89 with values of 7.38 t ha-1 , 30.23 kg ha-1 mm-1 and 3.46, respectively.