EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING AND FOLIAR UREA SPRAY ON YIELD AND ECONOMICS IN LENTIL (Lens culinaris) UNDER RAINFED CONDITION

BALDEV RAM¹*, S.S. PUNIA^2
1Agricultural Research Station, Ummedganj, Agriculture University, Kota, 324 001, Rajasthan
²All India Coordinated Research Project on MULLaRP, Agriculture University, Kota, 324 001, Rajasthan
* Corresponding Author : baldev.ram@gmail.com

Received : 11-04-2018     Accepted : 19-04-2018     Published : 30-04-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 8       Pages : 5801 - 5803
Int J Agr Sci 10.8 (2018):5801-5803

Keywords : Lentil, Productivity, Profitability, Seed Priming, Rainfed, Urea, Yield
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support jointly received from the ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur (UP) and Agriculture Department, Government of Rajasthan. The technical and other facility services received from Directorate of Research, Agriculture University, Kota for successful conduct of the research work under All India Coordinated Research Project on MULLaRP
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

A field experiment was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons 2005-06 and 2006-07 at Agricultural Research Station, Ummedganj, Kota to study the effect of seed priming and foliar urea spray at different growth stages on productivity and profitability of rainfed lentil. Seed priming (i.e., soaking the seeds in water for 6 hrs) significantly improved higher plant stand/m2 at harvest was recorded to the tune of 3.5 percent over no seed primed. Maximum taller plant (40.9 cm), branches/plant (5.3), pods/plant (111.3) and seeds/pod (1.8) over no seed primed. It had improved grain yield to the tune of 13.6 per cent and higher net return (₹2352/ha) and B: C ratio (0.22) over no seed primed. Foliar spray of 2 % urea at branching + pod initiation significantly improved plant height (42.2 cm), branches/plant (5.6), pods/plant (123.6) and seeds/pod (1.9) over no spray. Similarly, foliar spray of 2 % urea at branching + pod initiation significantly increased grain yield (1136 kg/ha) to the tune of 25.4 % and fetched maximum return of ₹9772/ha and B: C ratio (0.92) as compared to no spray.

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