Effect of Planting Methods on Grain Yield and Crop Management in Finger Millet

Abstract

A field experiment on two planting methods (direct seeding and transplanting) in finger millet was conducted using two cultivars; Samtenling Memja 1 (SM1) and IE4425 at the Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC), Samtenling from July to December 2020. The study aimed to determine the best planting method that gave better yield and economic advantage in crop production. The results of the experiment showed that the transplanted finger millet recorded the highest yield (0.81 Mt ha-1) compared to directed seeded (0.65 Mt ha-1) but statistically not significant. There was a percent yield difference of 19.7 % between the two methods. Similarly, there was no significant effect between planting methods and yield components such as plant height, productive tillers, and finger numbers; but there were varietal significant effects on plant height and length of the fingers (P=0.00). However, a significantly shorter maturity duration was observed in direct-seeded millet (120 days) as compared to transplanted millet (126.5 days). Moreover, economic analysis indicates that net returns for direct seeding were considerably greater (>25%) than that of the transplanting method. Based on the study, direct-seeded finger millet could be promoted in farmers' fields considering the economic advantage and early maturity.