Response of late-planted linseed (Linum usitatissimum) varieties to nitrogen levels under rainfed conditions

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 1997–98 and 1998–99 at Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, on clay soils, to find out the most suitable variety and economical nitrogen dose for sustainable grain yield and economics of hneseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) under rained condition. The field trial was laid out in split-plot design, comprising 5 varieties [‘SLS 21’, ‘SLS 9’, ‘SLS 7’, ‘RLC 29’ (‘Sheetal’) and ‘T 397’] as main and 4 nitrogen levels (30, 40, 50 and 60 kg/ha) in subtreatment plots, replicated thrice. ‘RLC 29’ (‘Sheetal’) recorded significantly higher values of almost all the growth and yield parameters, grain yield (q/ha) and economics over other varieties except plant height (cm), seeds/capsule and harvest index (%) in pooled data. Though higher dose of 60 kg N/ha produced significantly higher growth as well as sink parameters, 1,000-seed weight (g), grain yield (q/ha) and economics revealed possibility of saving 10 kg N/ha. Interaction study, however, showed that different growth and sink parameters were influenced significantly by N levels irrespective of varieties, but ‘RLC 29’ revealed higher both growth and yield attributes including grain yield which gave good economics and proved most economical variety for late planting, especially after soybean and gave 57.51, 11.69, 14.44 and 22.53% more grain yield than ‘SLS 21’, ‘SLS 9’, ‘SLS 7’ and ‘T 397’ respectively. Further, 9.03 and 27.07% more grain yield was noted with 50 kg N/ha over 40 and 30 kg N/ha respectively.