Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

The experiment titled "Effect of different sowing time and planting distance on yield and quality of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)" was carried out during the summer season of the year 2022 at the farm of Polytechnic in Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The study involved nine treatment combinations, including three sowing times: 2nd fortnight of February (S1), 2nd fortnight of March (S₂), and 2^nd fortnight of April (S₃), and three planting distances: 45 cm × 30 cm (D₁), 60 cm × 30 cm (D₂), and 75 cm × 30 cm (D3). The experimental design used was a Randomized Block Design with a factorial concept, and the experiment was replicated three times. The results indicated that okra seeds sown during the 2nd fortnight of March (S₂) demonstrated superior performance in various aspects. This sowing time resulted in maximum pod length (12.91 cm), pod diameter (2.10 cm), number of pods per plant (15.22), average weight of 10 pods (120.52 g), total number of pickings (13.78), marketable pod yield per net plot (1.92 kg), marketable pod yield per hectare (4.62 t), chlorophyll content (28.44 SPAD), and ascorbic acid content (6.57 mg/100 g). In summary, sowing okra seeds during the 2^nd fortnight of March led to improved yield and quality attributes, making it a favourable time for maximizing the production and nutritional content of okra.