Evaluation of agro-chemicals for enhancing the productivity and profitability of late-sown Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) under acidic soils of Manipur

A field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 2015-16 and 2017-18 at Imphal, Manipur to investigate the best combination of agro-chemicals for maximizing the productivity and profitability of late-sown Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj. & Cosson] under moisture-stress conditions. The experiment was laid out with 9 treatment combinations of hydrogel and thiourea in randomized completely block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The results indicated that productivity and economic efficiency increased by 68.9% and 39.7% and 88.3% and 45.1% with 5.0 kg hydrogel + 0.05% thiourea at 50% flowering and at siliquae formation over the control and water spray twice at 50% flowering and at siliquae formation respectively. The significant improvement in growth attributes like plant height (116.8 cm), dry-matter accumulation/plant (16.9 g/plant), number of primary and secondary branches (4.1 and 6.3/ plant), leaf-area index (LAI) at 45 days after sowing (DAS): 3.2) and 75 DAS (5.7) and yield attributes such as siliqua/plant (155) seed yield (1.56 t/ha), biological yield (1.56 t/ha), oil recovery (648 kg/ha), protein recovery (263 kg/ha). The economic benefit: in term of gross and net returns (64.58 and 30.99 10³/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (0.92) reflected that feasibility of the treatment over the control and water spray at 50% flowering and at siliquae formation.