Mixed cropping

Important element to minimise risk in dry farming is the inter cropping of crops like redgram with main crops like sorghum.

	An intercrop of pulse can give 100 per cent of solid stand of the main crop plus 60 per cent of the yield of the pulse crop without any extra input except seeding in between the main crop.
	In dry farming areas intercropping is going to the cropping system of tomorrow and this is going to be a major contributor towards production, towards covering risk, towards improving nutrition and above all towards giving confidence in the new technology to the poor.
	It is also necessary to develop varieties for better response to the temperature stress, the moisture stress and certain photo- sensitive situations. In dry farmup areas, pulse production and dry farming technology are linked together.
Gram with Wheat
	In the northern and peninsular India, growing wheat in combination with gram is common.
	Mixed cropping was found effective in increasing wheat yield when grown with gram under Nagpur conditions.
	The effect of fertilisers was enhanced when wheat was grown in asssociation with gram.
Gram with barley
	A gram-barley mixture was found to be more paying than entire gram grown at Gwalior.
Gram with jowar
	Growing rabi jowar mixed with gram was found more profitable than either jowar or gram alone at Raichur.
Gram, linseed and wheat
	A mixture (proprotion) of 10 gram, 10 linseed and 80 wheat yielded the best returns.
Rotation
In Maharashtra and Madras, gram-jowar and gram-wheat was found to be the best two-course rotation, and gram-jowar cotton was the best three-course rotation. In general, gram has been found to be an ideal crop for rotation and mixed farming as almost any crop succeeding gram grows well.

MANURING AND FERTILISATION
Though pulses are energy-rich crops, they have been cultivated under energy starvation conditions with application of low doses of organic manure and chemical fertilisers resulting in low yields.

	In some states like Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra, gram is not manured, particularly when the previous crop is manured.
	A basal dressing of farmyard manure (FYM) is provided in the black soils of Andhra Pradesh and in the loamy soils of West Bengal and Gujarat at a rate of 10, 4 and 5 cart loads, respectively.
	Total uptake of nitrogen by a Chickpea crop has been estimated to vary 60-145 kg/ha, depending upon growing conditions of the crop.
	Positive response to starter nitrogen dressing of about 15-25 kg N/ha was observed in soils of low fertility status and poor in organic matter.
	Symbiotic N fixation apparently seems to be effective enough in most of these areas to meet the major nitrogen need of the crop.
	In areas where nodulation has been either very poor or has completely failed, significant response to increasing rates of N application have been obtained. Soil and foliar application of more N reduced the symbiotic N-fixation.
	Phosphorus uptake has been found to range from 5 to 10 kg/ha depending upon crop growth conditions.
	In contrast at several places no positive response to P was found even in soils testing medium the available phosphorus is too low. No response to phosphorus might be due to high phosphate-fixing capacity of soil. Lack of response to P concludes that Chickpea might be more efficient in uptake and utilisation of soil phosphorus.
	Application of phosphate is rare except in loamy to heavy loam soils of the Punjab.
	The sources of P2O5 viz dicalcium phosphate and superphosphate, were found to be equally efficient.
	In general, application of phosphate fertilisers increased the yield of Cicer in Andhra, Bihar, Delhi, Mysore, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Gujarat.
	Potash manuring was found be to be injurious to this crop under Pusa conditions
	It was found that application of P2O5 stimulated vegetative growth, seed setting and seed size, but not the time of flowering and maturity.
	Chickpea when grown on high PH soils rich in calcium carbonate, show typical symptoms of iron defieciency. The deficiency can be corrected by a foliar spray of 0.5% W/V ferrous sulphate solution near the beginning of reproductive growth and a fortnight later. Zinc deficiency observed can be corrected by a foliar spray of 0.5% W/V Zinc sulphate solution or by applying 25 kg Zinc sulphate/ha.
Micro-Nutrients
	Application of molybdenum increases the grain yield.
	Copper, Manganese and Zinc also having a favourable effect on the crop when applied in combination.

WATER MANAGEMENT
Another major area where pulse production can be improved is under irrigated conditions. Because of availability of short duration varieties of pulses including redgram majority of pulses can be fitted into annual rotations.

	The potential evapotranspiration of Chickpea crop ranged from 200-280 mm, depending on the crop season. Although, most of the chickpea crop in India is grown on moisture conserved in the soil from the rain received prior to planting, the crop responds favourably to supplemental irrigation.
	Irrigation during the pre-flowering period (at the early stage of vegetative growth on soils having low water holding capacity and at late vegatative phase on heavier and deeper soils) and at early pod filling stage results in increasing yields.
	Irrigation improves the nodulation and increase the yield by increased pod number/plant.
Soil Moisture
	Being a rabi crop, gram is raised on the moisture conserved in the soil during the monsoon and is, therefore, subjected to deficiency thereoff in unfavourable seasons.
	Likewise, not too infrequently, excess moisture may be equally harmful as the crop may be affected not only by lack of aeration but also by poor nodulation and low rhizobial activity.
	Improved cultural practices, like bunding, land levelling, adoption of proper dry farming practices, stirring the soil to improve infiltration, etc, are therefore necessary.
	Bunding and stirring the soil with the desi plough in the rainy months increases the yield of gram.
	Stirring with a spring-tine harrow was as effective as that with the desi plough.
Irrigation The crop is irrigated once or twice only when the soil gets much dried up in November or December. Further irrigation may not be needed. While irrigating necessary care should be exercised that there should not be waste stagnation.

WEED MANAGEMENT
Crop yield losses due to weeds in Chickpea have been estimated to range from 30 to 50 per cent.

	Hand weeding at 25 and 50 days after planting has been very effective in controlling weeds.
	Pre emergence application of 1.5 kg a.i/ha of nitrogen or 0.5 kg a.i/ha of prometryne were effective.
	Pre-plant incorporation of 1 kg a.i/ha of Basalin showed good weed control.
	Pre emergence application of 1 kg product of either Terbutryne (80% WP) also highly promissing.
	No single herbicide is effective for all conditions and the choice of herbicide as well as its rate of application will very depending on the nature of weed infestation and the soil type.
	Generally no weeding or interculture is done to this crop in clean lands.
	However, weeding three to four weeks after sowing does help in reaping good yields.
	One more weeding be done three to four weeks later, if necessary.
	Nipping of top shoots appears to be a common practice with the cultivator, the nipped shoots serving as leafy vegetable. This practice does not however, increase gram yield.

INSECT MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The losses due to insect pests are much higher in the case of pulses than these in the cereal grains.

It is not reasonable to expect that millions of small and marginal farmers will buy their own dusters and sprayers and other equipment for the application of pesticides in their small fields. These operations have to be organised on a community basis with the help of specially created service agencies for this purpose, it is also worth mentioning here about the damage occured during storage. Small storage devices for villages can save the damage to pulses from insect pests.