Effect of root tuber weight and spacing on Kala zeera (Bunium persicum) in Gurez valley of Kashmir

A field experiment was conducted at Zeera Research Sub Station Izmarg Gurez, (78° 20 N longitude and 31° 20 E Latitude and 2,393 m amsl) of Sher-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir during 2006–07 and 2007–08 on a flat narrow valley land to determine the influence of plant geometry and planting tuber weight on kala zeera (Bunium persicum Bioss). The treatments comprised of three categories of tuber weights viz small (<2g), medium (2-5g) and large (>5g) and four planting spacings viz 20 cm × 20 cm, 20 cm × 25 cm, 25 cm × 25 cm and 25 × 30 cm, which were laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replication. Significant variations in growth and yield attributes were observed under influence of spacings and planting tuber weights. Numbers of umbels/plant appears to be least stable components in kala zeera and are influenced with crop management practices like spacing and planting tuber weight. Subsequent increase in planting tuber weight from small to medium size caused increase in seed yield and straw yield by 79% and 74%, respectively. The net returns and net returns per rupee invested varied from 10,37,000 to 27,17,000 and 1.94 to 8.71 in different treatments combinations. Among all the treatment combinations, seed tubers of kala zeera weighing 2 to <5 gm (medium sized) and planted at spacing of 25 cm × 25 cm resulted maximum seed and straw yield with a net return of 27,17,000.