Effect of different Nitrogen Sources on Growth and Yield of Kasuri Methi (Trigonella corniculata L.)

Abstract

Kasuri methi (Trigonella corniculata L.) is a slow growing plant remains in a rosette condition during vegetative growth. The flowers are orange-yellow coloured with long stalks. Being a leguminous crop, kasuri methi is highly responsive to nitrogenous fertilizer application especially in early stage. Nitrogen promotes the leaf, stem and other vegetative growth. The plant needs nitrogen for vegetative growth, resulting in higher green and seed yield. Nitrogen plays very important role in chlorophyll synthesis.  The present study aimed to determine the effect of different nitrogen sources on growth and yield of Kasuri methi (Trigonella corniculata L.). The investigation was carried out at Vegetable Research Farm and in the laboratories of the Department of Seed Science and Technology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during Rabi season of 2022-23. The material comprised of newly developed kasuri methi variety “Hisar Kasuri Methi - 7” which was grown with eighteen treatment combinations of organic manures (FYM, Vermicompost) inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizer (Rhizobium). All the treatment combinations were evaluated for different growth and seed yield parameters. Experimental results revealed that significantly highest growth and yield attributes viz., plant height at 30, 60, 90 DAS and at maturity (5.53, 14.00, 76.67 and 95.14 cm), number branches/plant (6.99),  number of cluster/plant (122.00), number of pods/cluster (19.62),  length of pod (2.01 cm), number of pods/plant (2457.97), number of seed/pod (6.95), biological yield  (3085.85 kg/ha), seed yield (730.57 kg/ha) and harvest index (23.67%) were observed under treatment T1 {100 % RDN (Inorganic) + Rhizobium}, whereas, minimum was recorded under treatment T18 (Control). Application of vermicompost promotes the lush growth of plants which may be due to the presence of plant growth promoters like auxins and cytokinin in vermicompost, which are responsible for cell division and cell elongation. Increase in plant height and number of branches due to early and abundant nitrogen availability resulting in a better nutritional environment in the root zone for growth and development of plant. The beneficial effect on yield attributes might be also due to the increased supply of all the essential nutrients which might have resulted in higher manufacture of food and its subsequent partitioning to sink. Higher seed yield may be due to Rhizobium and inorganic nitrogen sources, which have enhanced the availability of N in soil as major plant nutrients as well as inoculation of N2 fixer benefit plants than any group of organisms alone and may have additional benefits.