Sensitivity of zero erucic acid genotypes of oleiferous brassicas to plant population alld planting geometry

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during winter seasons of 1997 98 and 1998 99 at New Delhi, to study the sensitivity of 2 zero erucic acid genotypes of brassicas [ TERI (OE) R 15 and TERI (OE) M 21 1 and 1 normal genotype (Bio 902 as check) to planting geometries and plant population (20 cm x 10 cm, 20 cm x 15 cm, 30 cm x 10 cm, 30 cm x 15 cm, 45 cm x 10 cm and 45 cm x 15 cm). The genotype TERI (OE) R 15 of Brassica napus ssp. oleifera var. annua produced maximum brancheslplant (8.7), siliquae/plant (285), siliqua length (4.6 em), seeds1 siliqua (1 8), harvest index (24.5%) and oil content (42.0%). However, Bio 902 of Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj. Cosson recorded statistically more 1,000 seed weight, seed weighffplant and biological, seed and oil yields than TERI (OE) R 15 and TERI (OE) M 21 of Brassica juncea. On an average, seed and oil yield of Bio 902 was 20.2% and 8.60% higher than TERI (OE) R 15 and 31.7% and 53.5% higher than TERI (OE) M 21 respectively. Planting geometry of 30 cm x 10 cm which corresponds to 33 plants/m2 recorded significantly the highest seed (1 6.7 qlha) and oil (6.2 qlha) yields and harvest index (24.8%) over same plant density obtained with 20 cm x 15 cm and rest of planting geometries except 30 cm x 15 cm. Genotypes interacted significantly with planting geometries. Optimum plant population for TERI (OE) H 15 was 33 plants/m2, 22 to 33 plants for TERI (OE) M 21 and 15 to 33 plants/m2 for Bio 902 .