1Sorghum Research Project, MARS, UAS, Dharwad, Karnataka-580 005
University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka-580 005
*Corresponding author Email: vskubsad@rediffmail.com
Based on M.Sc. thesis of the first author, submitted to University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka (unpublished)
A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2012 at Dharwad, Karnataka, to study the effect of 3 sowing dates [first fortnight (FN) of July, second FN of July and 1 FN of August], 2 plant geometries (45 cm × 10 cm and 60 cm × 10 cm) and 2 doses of Cycocel spraying (500 ppm and 1,000 ppm at 30 days after sowing) on growth and yield of rainfed niger (Guizotia abyssinica Cass.). Sowing of niger in I fortnight of July at a plant geometry of 45 cm × 10 cm with application of cycocel @ 1,000 ppm at 30 DAS significantly enhanced the plant height (123.5 cm), branches (21.2), dry-matter accumulation (61.2 g/plant), number of capitula (59.9/plant), 1,000 seed weight (4.22 g), seed yield (0.675 t/ha), oil yield (275 kg/ha), uptake of major nutrients (42.1, 10.2 and 14.2 kg NPK/ha), net returns ( 17,673/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.00).
Cycocel, Date of sowing, Niger, Plant geometry, Productivity
