Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TO FIND CORRECT ROW SPACING AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT OF GROWTH ATTRIBUTING CHARACTERS FOR ASHWAGANDHA

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

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of row spacing and nutirnet management to growth attributing characters of ashwagandha during Kharif- 2003, at Post Graduate Institute Farm, Agronomy Department, M.P.K.V., Rahuri, India. The experiment was conducted in randomised block design (factorial) with three replications and tweleve treatments combinations formed due to three row spacings and four fertilizer levels, under irrigated condition. The results revealed that the plant height was high ( 61.71 cm) with the closed spacing of 45 x 20 cm i.e. Si treatment. But the number of branches (13.30), number of fruits (158.82) and root biomass per plant (61.10 g) were maximum in the treatment 75 x 20 cm spacing over the closer spacing i.e. 45 x 20 cm and 60 x 20 cm. In case of fertilizr levels growth attributing characters viz., plant height, number of branches, number of fruits and root biomass per plant (70.91 cm, 15. 77, 179.77 and 7,35 kg N, P205 and 1<20 with 5 tonnes FYM per ha, than 25: 12.5, 12.5 Kg N, P05 and K20 with 5 tonnes FY< per ha and 50 kg N per ha through FYM only. Howerver, it was on par with 50: 25: 24 kg N, P205 and 1(70 with 5 tonnes FM per ha.Thus growing of Ashwagandha with spacing of 45 x 20 cm along with 50 kg N + 25 Kg P205 + 25 kg K20 + 5 tonnes FYM per ha is better proposition for achieving higher productivity under irrigated condition in scarcity zone of Maharashtra.