Volume 15, Issue 58, 2026 (April – June)
Research Article
Effect of Hydrogel Application and Foliar Nutrition on Growth, Yield and Economics of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Manmohan Sangwa, Mahipal Dudwal, Ramesh Chand Choudhary and Suresh Dudwal
Keywords: Hydrogel; Foliar nutrition; Urea spray; Thiourea; Salicylic acid; Seed yield; Protein content; Water stress management; Benefit-cost ratio
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs052057053
Full Text – PDF
Abstract
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops cultivated in semi-arid regions, where water scarcity and nutrient limitations significantly constrain productivity. Efficient moisture conservation and nutrient management strategies are essential for improving crop performance. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of hydrogel application and foliar nutrition on growth, yield attributes, yield, and economic returns of chickpea. The treatments consisted of three hydrogel levels (0, 1.5, and 3.0 kg ha⁻¹) and four foliar nutrition treatments (water spray, urea 2.5%, thiourea 500 ppm, and salicylic acid 100 ppm). Results revealed that hydrogel application significantly improved dry matter accumulation, branching, pod formation, seed index, and yield parameters. The highest seed yield (1734 kg ha⁻¹) and net returns (Rs. 80,171 ha⁻¹) were recorded with hydrogel application at 3.0 kg ha⁻¹. Among foliar treatments, urea (2.5%) spray resulted in maximum seed yield (1757 kg ha⁻¹), protein content (23.75%), and benefit-cost ratio (3.27). Interaction effects were non-significant. The study concludes that combined application of hydrogel and foliar nutrition enhances chickpea productivity and profitability under moisture-limited conditions.
References
[1] Fernández, V., Sotiropoulos, T., & Brown, P. (2015). Foliar Fertilization: Scientific Principles and Field Practices. International Fertilizer Industry Association.
[2] Farooq, M., Hussain, M., & Siddique, K.H.M. (2017). Drought stress in chickpea during reproductive phase. Agronomy Journal, 109(3), 1–10.
[3] Islam, M.R., Hu, Y., Mao, S., Mao, J., & Eneji, A.E. (2019). Effect of hydrogel on soil moisture retention and crop productivity. Agricultural Water Management, 223, 105713.
[4] Kumar, S., Singh, R., & Singh, G.P. (2020). Climate resilience in pulse crops. Indian Journal of Agronomy, 65(2), 123–130.
[5] Khan, M.I.R., Fatma, M., Per, T.S., Anjum, N.A., & Khan, N.A. (2015). Salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 114, 1–12.
[6] FAOSTAT (2022). Food and Agriculture Organization Database.
[7] Meena, R.S., et al. (2017). Integrated nutrient management in legumes. Legume Research, 40(2), 234–242.
[8] Singh, A., & Singh, B. (2018). Role of thiourea in crop productivity. Journal of Plant Stress Physiology, 4(1), 12–18.
[9] Yadav, M.R., et al. (2018). Enhancing pulse productivity under stress. Field Crops Research, 226, 36–44.
[10] Jat, M.L., et al. (2019). Climate-smart agriculture practices. Agricultural Systems, 172, 1–10.
[11] Gupta, V., & Sharma, R. (2021). Soil moisture conservation using hydrogels. Soil Use and Management, 37(3), 567–576.
[12] Singh, V.K., et al. (2020). Foliar nutrition in pulses. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43(5), 712–725.