Effect of planting date and chemical desuckering on sucker growth, yield and yield attributes of bidi tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of planting date and chemical desuckering on sucker growth, height and leaf area of bidi tobacco varieties (Nicotiana tabacum L.). The field experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications comprising twelve treatment combinations of two varieties (GT 7 and GABT 11), two suckericides treatments (hand desuckering and pendimethalin @ 0.45 % + 2 % urea) and three transplanting dates (3rd week of August, 1st week of September and 3rd week of September). The chemical suckericide pendimethalin @ 0.45 % + 2 % urea significantly improved growth parameters viz., leaf area, dry weight per unit leaf area as compared to hand desuckering at 135 DAT and at harvesting stages. Pendimethalin @ 0.45 %+ urea 2 % treatment also significantly controlled the axillary and ground suckers.