Increased chickpea yield and economic benefits by improved crop production technology in rainfed areas of Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Sixteen on-farm trials in 2002 and 9 trials in 2003 were conducted in Nandavaram and Jillella villages of Banaganapalle mandal in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India, during the post-rainy season to evaluate the performance of improved production technologies (T1) and farmers' practice (T2) for chickpea production. T1 consisted of improved cultivar (ICCC 37), sowing rate of 60 kg/ha, seed treatment with thiram (3 g/kg), inoculation with Rhizobium, 20 kg N, 50 kg P2O5/ha, basal application of micronutrient mixture (5 kg borax, 0.5 kg B/ha; 50 kg zinc sulfate, 10 kg Zn/ha; and 200 kg gypsum, 30 kg S/ha), and need-based pest and disease control measures. Inter-cultivation was conducted at 25 and 50 days after sowing to control weeds. One insecticide spray was given at the pod formation stage to control pod borers. T2 consisted of a local cultivar, sowing rate of 50 kg/ha, 14 kg N/ha, and 35 kg P2O5/ha. T1 gave higher grain yields and recorded a mean yield of 2.09 t/ha, which was 53% higher than that obtained with T2 (1.37 t/ha). The increased grain yield under T1 was mainly because of greater total dry matter, 100-grain weight and harvest index. T1 also resulted in increased mean income of US$190 and a cost-benefit ratio of 2.9