Response of Okra (Abelmoschus Esculantus L. Moence) CV. Parbhani Kranti to Sowing Time Under North Konkan Conditions

The field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Palghar during rabi-summer season of 2010 to study the effect of different sowing times on growth and yield of okra (Abelmoschus esculantus) Cv. Parbhani Kranti. The experiment was undertaken in the randomized block design with five sowing times (as treatments) viz; sowing in II^nd, IV^rd, VI^th, VIII^thand X^th standard meteorological weeks. The results indicated that the highest germination percentage (87.31 per cent) was observed in the treatment T₄ wherein the seeds were sown in VIII^th meteorological week. Maximum plant height (149.50 cm) was observed in II^nd SMW sowing. The days for 50% flowering reduced due to late sowing (X^th SMW) while delayed flowering was observed due to early sowing. The sowing in VI^th SMW (T₃) registered highest yield. The damage due to fruit borer was also lowest (14.88 percent) when the sowing was done in VI^th meteorological week.