Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol. 28, Nov Suppl Issue 2022; Page No.(S336-S341)

ASSESSMENT OF GROWING DEGREE DAYS AND HEAT USEEFFICIENCY IN PIGEONPEA VARIETIES UNDER DIFFERENTSOWING WINDOWS IN WESTERN MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

D. Nagaraju, S.B. Kharbade, J.D. Jadhav, R. Balasubramanian, A.A. Shaikh and V.A. Sthool

Abstract

Pigeonpea is an important source of high quality dietary protein and is mostly consumed as dehuskedsplits or dhal. For production of pigeonpea agrometeorological indices plays an important role in growthand development of the crop. Comprehensive assessment of agrometeorological studies on crop growthand development at local and regional scales can be highly beneficial. In this aspect, an experiment waslaid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatment comprised of four varieties viz., Vipula,Rajeshwari (Phule T 0012), BDN 711 and ICPH 2740 as main plot and four sowing windows viz., 24th, 26thMW, 28th and 30th MW as sub plot treatments. Higher GDD was observed in 24th MW sowing window invar. ICPH 2740 (2747.6 and 2700.6 oC) and var. Vipula (2539.4 and 2507.5 oC) this was followed var. BDN711 and Rajeshwari during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. Higher heat use efficiency (1.1441 and 1.0480g/GDD) at branching to flower initiation was observed under 24th MW sowing window in var. ICPH 2740this was followed var. Vipula, BDN 711 and Rajeshwari during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively.