Effect of land configuration and fertilizer on growth, yield attributing characters and yield analysis of caster grown in Kharif season of Marathwada region

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) season of 2017-18 at Experimental Farm, Agronomy Section, College of Agriculture, Latur. The experiment was laid out in Split plot design with three replications. The tremens comprised are Main plot treatment (Land configurations): L1-Flat bed -90 cm × 60 cm, L2-Ridge and furrow -90 cm × 60 cm, L3-Flat bed with paired row spacing -(60 -120-60 cm) × 60 cm, L4-BBF with paired row spacing -(60 -120-60 cm) × 60 cm and Sub-plot treatments (Fertilizer levels) F1-75% RDF, F2 -100% RDF, F3-125% RDF. The result indicated that the land configuration treatment ridges and furrows (L2) recorded significantly increase growth and yield attributing characters and yield of castor viz. plant height, number of functional leaves plant -1 , number of branches plant -1 , leaf area plant -1 , total dry matter accumulation plant -1 , number of nodes plant -1 , stem girth plant -1 , number of spikes plant -1 , number of capsules plant -1 , seed yield plant -1 , test weight, seed yield, stalk yield and biological yield and which was found significantly superior over treatment flatbed (L1) and treatment flat bed with paired row planting (L3) and remained at par with treatment BBF with paired row planting (L4) at all periodical days and at harvest except 30 DAS. Similarly growth, yield attributing characters and yield of castor was observed higher in application of 125% RDF treatment (F3) and which was found significantly superior over 75% RDF treatment (F1), and found at par with 100% RDF treatment (F2).