Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STUDY OF ROW SPACING AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ON YIELD OF ASHWAGANDHA

S.P.Magar, H.M. Patil and B.T. Shete

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of row spacing and nutrient management to growth attributing characters of ashwagandha during Kharif-2003, at PG1 Farm, M.P.K.V Rahuri, DistAhmednagar (M.S.). The experiment was conducted in randomised block design (factorial) with three replications and tewleve treatments combinations formed due to three row spacings and four fertilizer levels, under irrigated condition. The results revealed that root yield (8.77 g), seed yield (1.20 g) and total biomass (77,16 g) per plant were significantly superior in the wider spacing i.e. 75 x 20 cm than remaining spacing. In case of fertilizer levels the yield attributing characters viz., root yield, seed yield, and total biomass per hectare were significantly highest (738.27, 109.39 and 7717.84 kg respectively) due to higher level of fertilizer i.e. 75 : 37: 5 : 37.5 kg N, P,03 and K,0 with 5 tonnes FYM per hectare than 25 :12.5 : 12.5 kg N, P205 and K20 with 5 tonnes FYIV1 per ha. and 50 kg N through FYM only. However, it was on par with than of 50: 25 : 25 kg N, P203 and K20 with 5 tonnes FYM per ha. Thus growing of Ashwagandha with spacing of 45 x 20 cm along with 50 kg N + 25 kg N, P205+ 25 kg K,0 + 5 tonnes FYM per ha. is better proposition of achieving higher productivity under irrigated condition in scarcity zone of Maharashtra.