Vol. 12, Issue 12 (2023)

Author(s):
Prashant Namdeo, RK Samaiya, Gyanendra Tiwari, Anubha Upadhyay, R Shiv Ramakrishnan and Ravi Kumar Dubey

Abstract:
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) is an important medicinal plant of the Solanaceae family. In Ayurveda, its roots, leaves, seeds, and even orange-red fruit have been used for hundreds of years for medicinal functions. Due to high demand, there is an urgent need to expand the cultivation of this important medicinal plant to meet the industrial and domestic demands. The present experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design during Kharif season of the year 2021- 22 (August 2021 to February, 2022) with nine treatments and three replications. T₁ - Untreated (Control), T₂ - Split application nitrogen @ 40 Kg ha^-1 (50% dose at 45 days after sowing and rest at 90 DAS), T₃ - Split application nitrogen @ 60 Kg ha^-1 (50% dose at 45 DAS and rest at 90 DAS), T₄ - Split application nitrogen @ 80 Kg ha^-1 (50% dose at 45 DAS and rest at 90 DAS), T₅ - Foliar spray @ 0.2% nano-Urea (at 45 DAS and 90 DAS), T₆ - Foliar spray @ 0.4% n-Urea (at 45 DAS and 90 DAS), T₇ - Foliar spray @ 0.6% n-Urea (at 45 DAS and 90 DAS), T₈ - Foliar spray @ 0.8% n-Urea (at 45 DAS and 90 DAS), T₉ - Foliar spray @ 1.0% n-Urea (at 45 DAS and 90 DAS). Foliar spray of Nano-Urea @ 0.6% outperformed in all treatment achieving overall performance including economic yield and root quality trait. It is efficiently effective in reducing input cost or increasing benefit cost ratio by reducing losses This treatment is better than conventional urea application in terms of leaf, root, biological yield, Harvest index (Root), Protein and Withanolide content in Withania somnifera. Seed yield and Harvest index for seed is better for 0.4% n-Urea and 80 Kg ha^-1 Nitrogen respectively.