Irrigation methods and integrated nutrient management enhanced water use parameters and economics of vegetable pea (Pisum sativum L.)

In the northern-western Himalayan region of India, the winter vegetable crop, vegetable pea, is pivotal for regional food security and ecological equilibrium. To ensure its sustainable management, it is imperative to discover irrigation methods harmonizing with organic farming practices. Drip irrigation, recognized for precise water delivery and minimal loss, emerges as a promising solution. A field experiment in the Rabi season of 2020 at the Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, scrutinized two irrigation approaches (drip and flood) and assessed six nutrient management combinations in a split-plot design. Compared to flood irrigation, drip irrigation exhibited substantial advantages in irrigation water use efficiency, water productivity, gross return, net returns, and B:C ratio. Particularly, an integrated nutrient management practice (RDF + FYM @2.5 t/ha + vermicompost @ 1t/ha) under drip irrigation resulted in a 29.4% increase in irrigation water use efficiency and a 28.3% rise in water productivity. The highest B:C ratio (3.5) was achieved with RDF + FYM 2.5t/ha + Vermicompost 1t/ha under drip irrigation. This strategy not only enhances water use efficiency and economic returns but also augments soil health, bolstering the long-term sustainability of regional agriculture.