Influence of tillage and nutrient management on growth performance of linseed

Abstract

A field trial was conducted during the rabi season of 2024 on Linseed at AICRP on Linseed farm, College of Agriculture, Nagpur to study the effect of tillage and nutrient management on growth and yield of linseed. The soil at the experimental site was clayey in texture and slightly alkaline (pH 7.30), containing medium organic carbon (0.52%). It was low in available nitrogen (265.11 kg ha⁻¹), medium in phosphorus availability (23.33 kg ha⁻¹), and high in available potassium (330.62 kg ha⁻¹). The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design comprising three tillage practices and four nutrient management treatments, resulting in 12 treatment combinations, replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of main plot included three tillage practices Conventional tillage (T1), Reduced tillage, (T2) and Zero tillage (T₃) and subplot consisted of four nutrient management 100% RDF (N₁), 100% RDF with seed treatment using a microbial consortium (Biomix) (N₂), 100% RDF with foliar application of micronutrients (PDKV Grade-II) at flower initiation (45-50 DAS) @ 5 ml/litre of water and at capsule development (70-80 DAS) @ 10 ml/litre of water (N₃), and 100% RDF with both seed treatment using Biomix and foliar application of micronutrients (PDKV Grade-II) at flower initiation (45-50 DAS) and capsule development (70-80 DAS) (N₄). Plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, number days to 50% flowering, and dry matter accumulation per plant (g) were significantly higher under conventional tillage, T₁ (cultivator twice followed by one rotavator). In terms of nutrient management, N₄ (100% RDF with seed treatment using Biomix and foliar application of micronutrients (PDKV Grade-II) at flower initiation (45-50 DAS) and capsule development (70-80 DAS) recorded the highest values for these parameters. The interaction effect between tillage and nutrient management was non-significant for all traits evaluated.