Response of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to Different Levels of Sulphur and Iron with Respect to Growth and Yield Performance

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a rabi pulse crop whose productivity may be constrained by inadequate management of sulphur and iron. A field experiment was conducted during the 2024–25 rabi season at the Agriculture Farm of Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Satna, Madhya Pradesh, to evaluate the effects of sulphur and iron levels on chickpea growth and yield. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with three replications and nine treatments comprising three sulphur levels (0, 30, and 40 kg ha⁻¹) and three iron levels (0, 3, and 4 ppm). Plant height, primary and secondary branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, seed yield, and straw yield were recorded. Both sulphur and iron significantly influenced the measured growth and yield attributes. Sulphur at 40 kg ha⁻¹ produced the greatest plant height at 90 DAS (32.97 cm), primary branches (9.55), secondary branches (20.58), pods per plant (63.41), seeds per pod (2.52), seed yield (24.42 q ha⁻¹), and straw yield (29.90 q ha⁻¹). Iron at 4 ppm produced the greatest plant height at 90 DAS (31.92 cm), primary branches (7.80), secondary branches (17.72), pods per plant (48.88), seeds per pod (2.02), seed yield (22.95 q ha⁻¹), and straw yield (29.64 q ha⁻¹). The respective control treatments recorded the lowest values. These results indicate that 40 kg S ha⁻¹ and 4 ppm Fe were associated with improved chickpea performance under the experimental conditions.