Sowing date is a crucial factor influencing the productivity of Indian mustard in the Gwalior region. Delayed sowing frequently exposes the crop to unfavourable temperature regimes and terminal heat stress during the reproductive phase, which adversely affects crop growth and consequently reduces yield. Therefore, determining an optimum sowing window is essential for attaining improved growth and higher productivity. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2025-26 at the Crop Research Centre, ITM University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, on sandy loam soil to assess the effect of integrated nutrient management practices on the productivity and profitability of Indian mustard under different sowing dates. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design comprising three sowing dates as main-plot treatments (D1 - 01/10/2025, D2 - 15/10/2025 and D3 - 30/10/2025) and four nutrient-management practices as sub-plot treatments (N0 - control, N1 - 100% RDF + vermicompost @ 3 t ha-1, N2 - 75% RDF + vermicompost @ 3 t ha-1 and N3 - 50% RDF + vermicompost @ 3 t ha-1), with three replications. The findings revealed that mustard sown on 01 October significantly outperformed the delayed sowing treatments by recording higher nutrient content and uptake, along with superior seed yield (23.4 q ha-1) and stover yield (42.4 q ha-1). Among the nutrient-management treatments, the application of 100% RDF along with vermicompost @ 3 t ha-1 proved to be the most effective, enhancing nutrient content and uptake and achieving the maximum seed yield (24.3 q ha-1) and stover yield (42.4 q ha-1) compared with the remaining treatments.
K. Anilkumar, P. Rajput, P. Kanaujiya et al.· Journal of Advances in Biolo...· 0 citations
A two-year field investigation was conducted during the rabi (winter) seasons of 2024-25 and 2025-26 at the Instructional Farm of the Department of Agronomy, ITM University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, to evaluate the effect of foliar-applied biostimulants (chitosan, seaweed extract and protein hydrolysate) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn and I), alone and in combination, on the growth, yield and economics of winter maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment comprised sixteen treatments, namely an absolute control (T1), three individual biostimulants (T2-T4), three individual micronutrients (T5-T7), four dual and triple biostimulant combinations (T8-T11), three dual and triple micronutrient combinations (T12- T15) and a six-component consortium (T16) combining all biostimulants and micronutrients, laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. Foliar application of the consortium treatment (T16) consistently and significantly outperformed all other treatments, recording the tallest plants (224.8 cm), highest dry matter accumulation (273.5 g plant-1), highest SPAD-based chlorophyll content (57.4), heaviest cob with husk (243.8 g plant-1), maximum number of grains cob-1 (685.3), maximum cobs plant-1 (1.88) and the highest grain yield (6.5 t ha-1), representing increases of 21.2, 15.5, 45.0, 46.0, 78.0 and 49.2 per cent, respectively, over the control, pooled across both years. Grain yield showed a strong positive correlation with dry matter accumulation (r = 0.991), stover yield (r = 0.986), cob weight with husk (r = 0.961) and fresh weight (r = 0.969). Grain yield showed a strong linear association with dry matter accumulation (R² = 0.983) among the pooled treatment means, while a multiple regression model incorporating dry matter accumulation, chlorophyll content and cob weight explained 98.8 per cent of the variability in grain yield. Although the consortium treatment produced the highest gross and net returns (₹1,68,496-1,84,664 and ₹1,21,455-1,36,936 ha-1, respectively), the combined micronutrient treatment Fe + Zn + I (T15) recorded the highest benefit-cost ratio (2.83-3.14), indicating greater input-use efficiency. Overall, integrated foliar application of biostimulants and micronutrients improved growth, yield and economic returns of winter maize under the conditions of the two-year field experiment.
Sonali Kokale, Jaidev Sharma, S. Maurya et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
