Productivity and water use of rainfed pearlmillet (Pennisetum glaucum) as influenced by summer ploughing and in situ moisture conservation practices under semi arid conditions of north west India .

A 2 year field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 1997 and 1998 to study the effect of 3 summer ploughing (no summer ploughing, summer ploughing and summer ploughing FYM insecticide herbicide) and 6 moisture conservation practices (uniform row sowing, paired row planting, ridge furrow, straw mulch, kaolin and straw mulch kaolin) on the productivity and water use efficiency of rainfed pearlmillet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. .emend. Stuntz]. Summer ploughing FYM insecticide herbicide gave highest grain yield (22.70 and 25.09 qlha in 1997 and 1998 respectively), which was at par with summer ploughing alone but significantly superior to no summer ploughing. Marked variation in water use efficiency, consumptive use and moisture extraction pattern by pearlmillet was observed due to summer ploughing during both the years. Straw mulch kaolin recorded highest grain yield (21.78 and 26.97 qlha), consumptive use (266.33 and 298.72 mm) and water use efficiency (9.46 and 9.03 kg grainlhalmm) in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and the lowest being by uniform row sowing. Straw mulch kaolin and straw mulch alone were at par with each other but were superior to all other treatments in terms of yield, consumptive use and water use efficiency. Key words : Summer ploughing, Moisture conservation practices, Water use efficiency, Moisture extraction pattern, Consumptive use