Explore the essentials of chickpea nutrient management, focusing on soil health, fertilizer application, and sustainable agricultural practices. Discover key factors for optimal chickpea growth while enhancing your understanding of field nutrition.
Which process enables chickpeas to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers?
Explanation: Chickpeas participate in biological nitrogen fixation with Rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules, allowing them to access atmospheric nitrogen. Photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy but does not fix nitrogen. Phosphorus solubilization makes phosphorus more available but is unrelated to nitrogen. Mycorrhizal associations mainly help with water and phosphorus uptake, not nitrogen fixation.
Why is applying phosphorus fertilizer particularly important for chickpea crops, especially during early growth stages?
Explanation: Phosphorus is vital for strong root development in chickpeas, especially early on, which ensures better nutrient and water uptake. While healthy plants can sometimes resist disease, phosphorus is not specifically a disease control measure. Weed control requires other approaches, and phosphorus does not directly affect pod color.
Yellowing between veins on chickpea leaves most commonly indicates a deficiency of which micronutrient?
Explanation: Interveinal chlorosis (yellowing between veins) in chickpea leaves typically signals an iron deficiency. Calcium deficiency usually appears as deformed young leaves, potassium deficiency causes edge browning, and manganese deficiency shows as specks or mottling rather than overall interveinal yellowing.
Incorporating well-rotted farmyard manure before chickpea sowing primarily helps improve which soil property?
Explanation: Organic manures improve soil structure by enhancing aggregation and moisture retention. They can have minor effects on salinity or weed seeds over time but do not primarily manage those. Soil temperature changes only slightly with manure, so structure is the main benefit.
What is a recommended approach for minimizing nutrient-related stress in chickpea cultivation under rainfed conditions?
Explanation: Using soil tests to guide fertilizer application ensures nutrients are given in adequate but not excessive amounts, which is efficient and sustainable. Arbitrarily doubling nitrogen ignores chickpea's nitrogen-fixing ability. Rainfed chickpea fields cannot be irrigated daily, and foliar sprays alone rarely meet total nutrient needs.