Effect of different sowing windows and nutrient levels on yield attributes, yield and economics of barnyard millet during rabi season

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2023-24 on barnyard millet at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Nagpur (M.S.). The soil of the experimental plot was clayey in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction (pH 7.7), low in available nitrogen (272.20 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (22.66 kg ha-1) and high in available potassium (390.65 kg ha-1). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with nine treatment combinations of three sowing windows and three fertilizer levels and replicated three times. The treatments consisted of three sowing windows viz., D1- 43rd MW, D2- 45th MW and D3- 47th MW, and three nutrient levels viz., F1- 15:15:00, F2- 20:20:00 and F3- 25:25:00 kg N:P:K ha-1. The result revealed that among the dates of sowing, number of panicles hill-1, length of panicle, panicle weight, grain and straw weight plant-1, grain, straw, biological yield and gross monetary returns, net monetary returns and B:C ratio were significantly higher with D1- 43rd MW sowing and among the nutrient levels, F3- 25:25:00 kg N:P:K ha-1 recorded more number of panicles hill-1, length of panicle, panicle weight, grain and straw weight plant-1, grain, straw, biological yield and gross monetary returns, net monetary returns and B:C ratio.