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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
A field experiment was carried out in consecutive years of 2013-14 and 2014-15 conducted at regional research station, Bawal, CCS Haryana Agricultural University to study effect of sowing time and chemical foliar sprays on the productivity and cold injury management in castor (Ricinus communis L.). The experiment was laid out in split plot design on loamy sand soil. Treatments comprised of four dates of sowing viz., 20th June, 5th July, 20th July and 5th August and four chemical foliar sprays along with water and no spray check viz., DMSO (78 ml ha-1), H2SO4 (0.1%), Thiourea 500 ppm, Salicylic acid 100 ppm that are replicated thrice. Among the different dates of sowing, 20th June resulted in significantly higher growth and yield parameters during 2013-14 and 2014-15 crop seasons compared to other dates of sowing. 20th June date of sowing produced significantly higher grain yield i.e., 5157 kg ha-1 during 2013-14 and 5412 kg ha-1 during 2014-15 as well pooled grain yield 5285 kg ha-1 as compared to the 20th July and 5th August sowing dates. Application of H2SO4 (0.1 %) showed significantly substantial effect on grain yield (4703 kg ha-1) during 2013-14 and during 2014-15 (4869 kg ha-1) as well as on pooled basis (4786 kg ha-1) compared to the foliar sprays. Sowing during 20th June along with application of H2SO4 (0.1 %) registered higher relative water, leaf water potential, chlorophyll index and lower membrane injury as compared to different sowing dates and chemical foliar sprays during 2013-14 and 2014-15 crop seasons. In economic analysis of two year data, profitability of castor in terms of returns was substantially high in 20th June date of sowing with gross returns (Rs. 203702 ha-1 and 216480 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 150622 ha-1 and 163809 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.84 and 4.11) as compared to other sowing dates. Among the chemical foliar sprays, H2SO4 (0.1 %) significantly recorded higher gross returns (Rs. 185769 ha-1 and Rs. 196080 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 130759 ha-1 and Rs. 141479 ha-1) and B: C ratio (3.39 and 3.59, respectively) when compared to other foliar sprays.