Sowing Dates And Planting Patterns In Relation To The Growth

SOWING DATES AND PLANTING PATTERNS IN RELATION TO THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF MASHBEAN (VIGNA MUNGO L.) CV. MASH-97 Moazzam Ali Haider*, Waqar Ahmad, Asif Naeem, Shamsa Kanwal, Asif Ali** and Muhammad Asghar Malik* ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

ABSTRACT A study was carried out to determine the effect of sowing dates and planting pattern on growth and yield of mashbean (Vigna mungo L.) CV.Mash-97. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement at Agronomic Research Area [Lyall Pur soil series (aridisol-fine-silty, mixed, hyperthermic Ustalfic, Haplarged in USDA classification and Haplic Yermosols in FAO classification)], University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during Kharif season of 2003. Treatments comprised of three Sowing dates (main plot) i.e. D1 (Third week of June), D2 (First week of July) and D3 (Third week of July) and three sowing methods (sub plot) i.e. P1 (30 cm apart flat sowing), P2 (30 cm apart ridge sowing) and P3 (20 cm apart on 40 cm wide bed). Crop was sown with the help of single row hand drill according to the treatments. Nitrogen and phosphorus were added @ 30 and 60 kg ha-1, respectively. There were three replications with net plot size of 1.8 m x 5m; a plant-to-plant distance 10 cm was maintained after two weeks of germination by thinning. Plant height, pods bearing branches plant-1, pods plant1

, seeds plant-1, 1000-seed weight, biological yield, seed yield, straw yield and harvest index were

significantly affected by both treatments of sowing dates and planting patterns. Number of plants per m-2 was not affected by planting pattern. The biological yield was significantly affected by both sowing time and planting patterns. The highest biological yield (4530.86 Kg ha-1) was obtained in D3 treatment against the minimum (3598.76 Kg ha-1) in D1 treatment. Whereas in case of planting patterns maximum biological yield (4302.47 Kg ha-1) was produced in P3 treatment and minimum (3981.48 Kg ha-1) in P1 treatment. The biological yield produced by P2 treatment (4185.19 Kg ha-1) was statistically at par with P3 treatment. The seed yield was significantly affected by both sowing time and planting patterns. The maximum seed yield (1259.26 Kg ha-1) was recorded in D3 treatment (3rd week of July) against the minimum in D1 treatment (3rd week of June) which is 814.81 Kg ha-1). Similarly maximum seed yield (1117.28 Kg ha-1) was produced in D3 treatment (20 cm apart on 40 cm wide beds) and minimum in P1treatment (30 cm apart flat sowing). Similar situation existed in case of harvest index. It is concluded from above results that sowing in the 3rd week of July (D3) and planting pattern (20 cm apart on 40 cm wide beds) (P3) are most appropriate for obtaining maximum Mashbean production under the agro-ecological conditions of Faisalabad. KEYWORDS: Mash bean; sowing method; sowing dates; Pakistan _______________________________________________________________________________ Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan *Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan **Directorate of Agricultural Information, Davis Road, Lahore, Pakistan Author Correspondence: [email protected]