Vol. 11, Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
BK Sharma, GK Nema, HD Verma, Kratika Chouhan and Abhishek Sharma

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at R.A.K. college of Agriculture, Sehore (M.P.), during rabi 2021-22. The experiment comprised of 3 hydrogel levels (i.e. 0, 2.5 kg/ha & 5.0 kg/ha) were kept in main plots and 5 levels of foliar nutrition i.e., water spray, 2% urea, thiourea 500 ppm, salicylic acid 75 ppm & NPK (19:19:19) @ 0.5% in sub plots. Hydrogel was drilled 7-8 cm deep into the soil before sowing in earmarked strips and subsequently foliar nutrition were sprayed at critical stages i.e. flower initiation and pod development. Result revealed that drilling of hydrogel 5.0 kg/ha before sowing recorded significantly higher plant height (41.76 cm), branches (5.18), dry matter (28.65), pods/plant (51.41), seeds per pods (1.35), seed index (21.54), grain yield (2024 kg/ha), straw yield (2332 kg/ha) and harvest index (46.42%). Foliar application of NPK (19:19:19) @ 0.5% at flower initiation & pod development stages recorded significantly higher plant height (43.06 cm), branches (5.84), dry matter (30.72), pods/plant (55.50), seeds per pods (1.41), seed index (21.66), grain yield (2166 kg/ha), straw yield (2532 kg/ha) and harvest index (46.04%).