Effect of plant spacing on marketable yield of table beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Abstract

A field experiment to standardize package of practices for beet root cultivation in Vidarbha region and to find out optimum spacing for higher yield of marketable beet root during the winter seasons of three consecutive years was undertaken. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Block Design at the farm of Agricultural Research Station (Dr. PDKV), Yavatmal. On the basis of spacing, plants were transplanted at two row spacing viz., 30cm and 45 cm and in row three plant to plant spacing viz., 10cm, 20cm and 30cm with one separate 45 cm x 45 cm wider spacing plot with three replications. The result indicated that different plant spacing had significantly influenced on shoot fresh weight, beet root fresh weight, diameter of beet root and marketable yield of beet root. Spacings have significant effect on marketable yield of beet root in the three seasons of experimentations. However, TSS content of beet root was in significantly influenced with different plant spacing. Beet root sown at closer planting distance 30 cm x 10 cm gave significantly higher marketable root yield but fresh weight of beet root was significantly greater under wider plant spacing.