Indian Journal of Agronomy

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2009–10 to 2011–12 at Ummedganj, Kota, Rajasthan, to find out the best moisture-conservation practices as abiotic stress management in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) for higher productivity under rainfed conditions. Straw mulch @ 10 t/ha significantly increased the growth, yield attributes, seed yield (1, 037 kg/ha), oil yield (403.3 kg/ha), net returns (18, 930/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (1.22) over rest of the moisture-conservation practices and was statistically on a par with spreading of FYM 10 t/ha as mulch. The maximum production and economic efficiency, consumptive use (215 mm), moisture-use rate (1.58 mm/day) and water-use efficiency (4.82 kg/ha-mm) were recorded with straw mulch 10 t/ha, indicating 56.2, 79.3, 28.0, 27.4 and 22.0% increase over no mulch respectively. The maximum soil moisture depletion (46.2%) was registered from top soil layer (0–15 cm) in no-mulch, while the least (42.5%) with straw mulch 10 t/ha. However, the reverse trend was observed in deeper soil layer from 16–30 and 31–45 cm, and the maximum depletion of soil moisture was recorded under straw mulch 10 t/ha (33.0 and 24.6%) followed by spreading FYM 10 t/ha as mulch (32.8 and 24.5%) and least with no-mulch (30.8 and 23.0%) respectively.