Identifying a viable agro-technique to improve productivity of medium-duration pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) in north-eastern hills zones of India

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2018 and 2019 at research farm of College of Agriculture Tripura, Lembucherra, West Tripura, to identify a viable agro-technique for improving productivity of medium-duration pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp]. Treatments comprised all possible combination of no nipping (N0 ), nipping @ 45 days after sowing (DAS) (N₄₅), nipping @ 60 DAS (N₆₀) and nipping @ 90 DAS (N₉₀) with row-to-row spacing @ 45 cm (S₄₅), 60 cm (S₆₀), 75 cm (S₇₅) and 90 cm (S₉₀). The results showed that, early nipping (45 to 60 DAS) and wider spacing (75 to 90 cm) was very much effective for good crop canopy and productivity (leaf area index of 5.36), which can be addressed as a solution to the marginal pigeonpea farmers of Tripura for better growth (20.53 nos. of primary branches), yield (1.15 t/ha) and economic returns (37.89 × 103 `/ha).