Response of mungbean varieties to sowing time and spacing during summer season

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Jaguli, West Bengal, India to find out the effect of three sowing dates (15 February, 11 March, 4 April), two row spacings (30 cm, 25 cm) and two varieties (Samrat, Pant Mung 5) on phenological development and growth of mungbean during summer, 2019. Mean time required from sowing to emergence, flower initiation, pod initiation, end of flowering, end of pod formation and maturity were 6.1, 33.5, 41.7, 50.8, 59.9 and 72.8 days, respectively. The duration of mungbean was shortened by 6.7 days with delay in sowing from 15 February (76.0 days) to 4 April (69.3 days). Sowings in mid-March and early April resulted in better vegetative growth in terms of plant height, branching habit and dry matter production due to high temperature compared to early sowing in mid-Fabruary. Mungbean sown on 11 March recorded the highest grain yield (684.3 kg/ha), which was 14.5% and 68.8% greater over 15 February (597.8 kg/ha) and 4 April (405.5 kg/ha) sowings. Close row spacing (25 cm) resulted in greater grain (583.0 kg/ha) and straw yield (2415.7 kg/ha) than wider spaced crop (30 cm). ‘Pant Mung 5’ accumulated greater total GDD (1214°C day), HTU (9443°C day hour), PTU (15308°C day hour) for entire life cycle, and produced higher grain yield (684.3 kg/ha) over ‘Samrat’.