Effect of fertilizer dose, spacing and seed rate on growth and seed yield of vegetable pea (Pisum sativum L.) in central Uttar Pradesh

Three seed rates (100, 75 and 60 kg ha⁻¹) and three spacings (30, 45 and 60 cm) were tried with three fertilizer levels of N: P: K viz., 35: 60: 40, 50: 70: 50 and 65: 80: 60 kg ha⁻¹ in pea (Pisum sativum L.) cv. ‘Azad Pea-3’ during rabi season of 2004–05 and 2005–06 at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Maximum plant height (64.09 cm), days to 50% flowering (69.10), number of pods plant⁻¹ (13.23), pod width (1.54 cm), number of seeds pod⁻¹ (6.70), 1000-seed weight (254.19 g) and seed yield (22.60 q ha⁻¹) were obtained at higher dose of NPK fertilizer (65: 80: 60 kg ha⁻¹). Seed rate of 100 kg ha⁻¹ and lowest spacing of 30 cm gave significantly maximum seed yield; however, highest number of pods plant⁻¹, pod length and number of seeds pod⁻¹ were recorded in lowest seed rate (60 kg ha⁻¹) and widest spacing (60 cm). Combination of 65: 80: 60 kg NPK ha⁻¹, 100 kg seed rate ha⁻¹ and 30 cm spacing exhibited maximum seed yield (24.69 q ha⁻¹).