Performance of Canola (Brassica napus L.) at Different Age of Seedling under System of Mustard Intensification

Abstract

Background: Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) also known as ‘rape’ is bright yellow flowering member of family Brassicaceae, cultivated for its oil rich seed. It is third most important oilseed crop after soybean and oil palm. Despite an important oilseeds crop there is little advancement in suitable crop management strategies for improving crop productivity. The SRI has set of principles such as use of young seedlings, one seedling per hill, square planting, mechanical weeding, addition of organic matter. Recently the SRI is being successfully experimented in other crops such as wheat, maize, soybean, blackgram, kidney bean, potato in the name of System of Crop Intensification. Methods: This research experiment was carried out at the Student’s Research Farm, Khalsa College, Amritsar during the rabi season of 2018-19. The Split plot design with three replications was carried under age of seedling in main plot treatments A1 [20 day seedling], A2 [30 day seedling] and A3 [40 day seedling] and four intra row spacing treatments in sub plots S1 [15cm], S2 [30 cm], S3 [45 cm] and S4 [60 cm]. Result: Seed yield decreased progressively with increase in age of seedling. Wider spacing between plants (45 cm) observed high number of siliquae per plant than closer spacing (15 cm). Seed yield was significantly highest when crop was transplanted with 45 cm intra row spacing. The percent increase in seed yield in different SMI (System of Mustard Intensification) spacing treatments over closer spacing S1 (15 cm) were 21.62, 6.36, 4.89, per cent in S3, S4 and S2 respectively.