Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

MAXIMIZING SEED YIELD AND QUALITY IN INDIAN MUSTARD (BRASSICA JUNCEA L.) THROUGH SUPPLEMENTARY INSECT POLLINATION

A. Jana, S.K. Swain and S.P. Monalisa

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken during Rabi 2021-22 in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, FAS, SOADU, Bhubaneswar to study the impact of various supplementary pollination techniques viz. 1. Open pollination (OP) with spray application of 5% honey solution, 2. OP with spray application of 10% jaggery solution, 3. OP without any spray application, 4. Intensive pollination with honey bees (Apis cerana indica) and 5. Pollinators exclusion, on seed yield and quality in Indian mustard (Brassica juncia L.). The field experiment was conducted following RBD with four replications. Appropriate agronomic practices were followed for raising seed crops. Observations were recorded on five yield attributing traits viz. number of siliqua per plant, length of siliqua, number of healthy and wrinkle seeds per siliqua and 1000-seed weight; two seed yield parameters viz. per plant and per hectare seed yield; seven seed quality attributes viz. germination percentage, shoot and root length of seedling, dry weight of seedling, seed vigour indices (SVI-I & SVI-II) and storability of seed; and two biochemical seed quality traits viz. oil and protein content of the seed. A significant effect of planned pollination methods was observed on most of the yield and quality traits. The mean number of siliqua per plant, siliqua length, healthy seeds per siliqua, 1000-seed weight, seed yield per plant and per hectare, seed germination percentage, shoot and root length of seedling, dry weight of seedling, SVI-I and SVI-II, oil content of seed and germination percentage of seed after four months of storage were highest in OP with spray application of honey solution (80, 5.70 cm, 15.03, 3.80 g, 11.83 g, 8.7 q, 97.25%, 3.2 cm, 2.9 cm, 2.6 mg, 593.0, 252.9, 34.8% & 85, respectively) followed by OP with spray application of jaggery solution (77.15, 5.18 cm, 14.10, 3.85 g, 10.05 g, 6.83 q, 94, 2.9 cm, 2.6 cm, 2.4 mg, 517.1, 225.7, 33.4% & 80, respectively) in comparison to pollinators exclusion (62.68, 4.38 cm, 11.73, 3.08 g, 6.60 g, 5.54 q, 79, 2.3 cm, 2.3 cm, 1.8 mg, 364.4, 142.1, 31.2% & 67, respectively) which showed the lowest values for all these traits. OP without any spray application and intensive pollination with honeybees resulted in moderate enhancement of all these traits. Thus, it may be concluded that for achieving higher seed yield and quality in this crop, insect pollinators may be attracted by spray application of honey or jaggery solution to the seed crop of mustard during the flowering period.