Influence of fertilizer levels and plant spacing on growth and growth attributes of foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.)

Abstract

An experiment entitled “Response of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.) to Fertilizer Levels and Spacings” was conducted at PG research Farm, RCSM College of Agriculture, Kolhapur during the kharif season of 2023. The experiment was conducted in a split plot design with three main plot treatments of plant spacings and five levels of fertilizer as subplots treatments. The experiment was conducted with the objectives of studying the combined effect of fertilizer levels and spacings on growth and yield of foxtail millet, studying the nutrient status of soil and plant and to find the better economics of the foxtail millet cultivation. The highest growth attributes such as leaf area, no of tillers, dry matter accumulation of foxtail millet was recorded with spacing 60 cm x 10 cm along with fertilizer application of 100% GRDF (40:20:00 N, P2O5, K2O Kg + FYM @ 5 t ha-1) except for plant height. Whereas taller plants of finger millets were observed in the spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm among the various treatment combination used in foxtail millet crop.