Effect of spacing and row orientation on yield attributes and economics of toria (Brassica campestris L.)

Abstract

A field study was carried out during the Rabi season of 2024 at the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, and Prayagraj (U.P.) to evaluate the influence of plant spacing and row orientation on Toria. The experimental soil was sandy loam, with low organic carbon (0.72%), nearly neutral pH (7.2), and nutrient status of 178.48 kg/ha Nitrogen, 27.80 kg/ha Phosphorus, and 233.24 kg/ha Potassium. The trial included three levels of spacing (20 × 10 cm, 30 × 10 cm, and 40 × 10 cm) and three row orientations (East-West, North-South, and North East-South West as control), arranged in a Randomized Block Design with nine treatment combinations, each replicated thrice. Among the treatments, T₃ (40 × 10 cm + East-West orientation) exhibited superior performance, producing the tallest plants (135.16 cm), maximum branches per plant (14.86), highest dry weight per plant (19.74 g), greatest number of siliquae per plant (189.80), and highest seeds per siliqua (13.13). The study suggests that adopting wider spacing with East-West row orientation can effectively enhance Toria growth and yield under similar agro-climatic conditions.