MSc.

Black gram is one of the major pulse crop grown throughout India.
It is cultivated in an area of 3.5 m. ha with a production of 2.1 m. tones (NCAER,
2016). However, the production is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand. In
Kerala, black gram cultivation is very limited or negligible. The summer rice
fallows are the potential areas for pulse cultivation in Kerala. It is mainly grown
under rainfed condition with poor management practices and so the productivity is
found to be very low. Hence, measures are to be taken to enhance the productivity
of pulses with advancements in technology. Conservation agriculture is gaining
momentum now-a-days and mulching and drip irrigation are water saving
technologies for enhanced crop production.
The research work on the topic “Tillage and water saving
techniques for black gram in rice fallows” was undertaken in the Department of
Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 2015-2017. The project
was aimed to study the effect of reduced tillage practices on yield of black gram
in rice fallows and to test the feasibility of mulch cum drip irrigation practices
under conservation tillage in rice fallows. The experiment was laid out as RBD in
split plot replicated thrice. There were 4 main plot treatments with tillage and
mulching (conventional tillage with mulching, conventional tillage without
mulching, reduced tillage with mulching, reduced tillage without mulching) and 3
subplot treatments with levels of drip irrigation (at 80% EP, 40% EP and life
saving irrigation). Observations on growth, yield attributes and yield were
recorded and soil moisture status, nutrient contents of plant and soil were
determined.
The conventional tillage with mulching produced taller plants with
higher number of branches and LAI at different growth phases of black gram.
Maximum biomass and dry matter production were also achieved under

conventional tillage with mulching. Among the levels of drip irrigation, drip
irrigation at 80% EP had the tallest and vigorous plants compared to other levels.
Maximum number of pods per plant, longer pods and highest
number of seeds per pod were produced by the plants in mulched plots with
conventional tillage. Conventional tillage with mulching recorded the highest
yield (1339 kg/ha) and it was 25, 60 and 80% higher than that of reduced tillage
with mulching, conventional tillage without mulching and reduced tillage without
mulching respectively. Among the drip irrigation levels, highest yield attributes
and yield were recorded from plots with drip irrigation at 80% EP.
Conventional tillage with mulching exhibited a 15, 18 and 40%
higher WUE than conventional tillage without mulching, reduced tillage with
mulching and reduced tillage without mulching respectively Among drip
irrigation levels, highest water use efficiency was recorded from plots with life
saving irrigation. Higher soil moisture content was recorded by reduced tillage
with or without mulching and drip irrigation at 80% EP at different depths as well
as at different growth phases.
Bulk density was found to be lower in the treatment of
conventional tillage with mulching. Reduced tillage without mulching recorded
the highest nutrient content of plants and available nutrient contents of soil. B:C
ratio was found to be maximum under conventional tillage with mulching and drip
irrigation at 80% EP.
Conventional tillage with mulching and drip irrigation at 80% EP
was found to be better option in terms of yield and net returns in black gram for
cultivation in summer rice fallows.