Growth and yield attributes of pearl millet as influenced by cultivars and fertility levels under rainfed condition of Jammu Region

Abstract

A field experiment entitled “Growth and yield potential of Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) cultivars as influenced by fertility levels” was conducted during kharif season of 2020 at Rakh Dhinsar, SKUAST, Jammu. In this experiment three cultivars (Puas composite 383, MBC-2 & local variety) was combined with five fertility levels. Totally there were fifteen treatment combinations and laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications. Pearl millet cultivar MBC-2 recorded significantly higher growth parameters viz., dry matter accumulation (615.37), number of tillers/m2 (23.47), leaf area index (2.41) and crop growth rate (3.95) and yield attributes viz., ear head/m2 (22.13), 1000 grain weight (7.05g), number of grains/ear head (1593.41) as compared to Pusa Composite-383 and local variety. Whereas, among the fertility levels F5 - 80:50:25 kg/ha of N:P2O5:K2O + 25 kg N through FYM to recorded significantly higher growth parameters and yield attributes over lower fertility levels but remained at par with fertility level F4 (65:40:20 kg/ha of N:P2O5:K2O + 25 kg N through FYM). Hence, On the basis of one year finding it is concluded that under rainfed conditions of Jammu, pearl millet cultivar MBC 2 when fertilized with F4 marked its superiority by recording higher growth parameters and yield attributes statistically at par with fertility level F5.