Participatory technology development for enhancing farm income with chickpea cultivation in watersheds of central India

An on-farm participatory technology development programme was undertaken in Jalalpur watershed of Agra district using harvested runoff during Rabi 2011 and 2012 to evaluate the performance of two chickpea cultivars viz., Kabuli ‘SUBHRA’ and Desi ‘PUSA DHARWAD’ under three nutrient management options (Recommended application of 20:40:20:20 Kg/ha of N:P:K:S along with 2 tonnes of FYM/ha, farmers’ practice of 100 kg DAP + 1 tonnes of FYM/ha and a control i.e., without any fertilizer). The nutrient management options (main plots) and chickpea varieties (sub plots) were laid out in a split plot with four replications. SUBHRA out performed with higher seed yield of 2086 Kg/ha over that in PUSA DHARWAD (1944 Kg/ha) at recommended practices. Recommended practices also recorded higher water use efficiency, organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and sulphur over both farmers’ practice and control. It also lowered down EC and pH after harvest of the crop compared to both farmers’ practice and control. The study suggested that farmers can get additional benefit of INR 10902/-from improved variety (SUBHRA) by following recommended practices.