Enhancing Chickpea Yield and Nutrient Profile Through Phosphorous and Zinc Application

The field experiments conducted at the Student’s Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, during the rabi season of 2021–22 aimed to investigate the impact of phosphorus and zinc on both yield and quality parameters of chickpea. Employing a factorial randomized block design with 16 treatment combinations and three replications, various combinations of phosphorus and zinc were tested, using the chickpea cultivar RVG-203 and following prescribed agricultural techniques. The most promising results were observed in treatment T15 [P90Zn6 ], which yielded the highest grain yield (18.65 q ha-1) and straw yield (21.86 q ha-1). Conversely, treatment T0 [P0 Zn0 ] exhibited the lowest grain yield (13.24 q ha-1) and straw yield (17.92 qha-1). Furthermore, nutrient content analysis showcased that treatment T15 [P90Zn6 ] boasted maximum values for grain nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and zinc (Zn) content at 3.35%, 0.65%, 0.65%, and 0.27 mg kg-1, respectively. In contrast, treatment T0 [P0 Zn0 ] displayed the minimum values in these parameters at 3.13%, 0.46%, 0.53%, and 0.20 mg kg-1, respectively. Similar trends were observed in the nutrient content of straw. Nutrient uptake analysis further emphasized the superiority of the treatment T15 [P90Zn6 ], recording maximum values for grain nitrogen (63.15 kg ha-1), phosphorus (12.25 kg ha-1), potassium (12.25 kg ha-1), and zinc (49.91 g ha-1), as well as in straw nitrogen (33.16 kg ha-1), phosphorus (7.47 kg ha-1), potassium (43.66 kg ha-1), and zinc (52.27 g ha-1). Conversely, treatment T0 [P0 Zn0 ] exhibited the lowest nutrient uptake for both grain and straw. In conclusion, the comprehensive analysis of treatment combinations demonstrated that the judicious application of phosphorus and zinc, as exemplified by treatment T15 [P90Zn6 ], significantly enhances chickpea yield and quality parameters, emphasizing the importance of balanced nutrient management for optimal agricultural productivity.