Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 201011 and 201112 at Rahuri, Maharashtra, to study the response of ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) dunal] to 3 methods of planting (broad bed and furrow, ridge and furrow and flat bed), 2 levels of spacing (30 cm 20 cm and 45 cm 20 cm) and 4 levels of nutrient management (75, 37.5, 37.5 kg N, P O K O + 5 t FYM/ha; 50, 25, 25 kg N, P O K O + 5 t 2 5, 2 2 5, 2 FYM/ha; 25, 12.5, 12.5 kg N, P O , K O + 5 t FYM/ha and control) under drip irrigation. Broad bed and furrow 2 5 2 planting method recorded significantly higher values of yield attributes, viz. number of roots, root length, root diam- eter, dry root weight, number of berries and seed yield/plant, and consequently higher dry root (790 kg/ha) and seed yield (1.15 t/ha), nutrient uptake and total withanolide content as compared to ridge and furrow and flat bed. The closer spacing of 30 cm 20 cm resulted in significantly maximum dry root yield (762 kg/ha), seed yield (1.13 t/ha), nutrient uptake and total withanolide content than wider spacing of 45 cm 20 cm. At 30 cm 20 cm spac- ing, the increase in dry root yield and seed yield was 19.89 and 15.20% over 45 cm 20 cm respectively. Signifi- cant increase in dry root yield, seed yield, nutrient uptake and total withanolide content was noticed with increase in fertilizer levels from control to 75, 37.5, 37.5 kg N, P O K O + 5 t FYM/ha. Application of 75, 37.5, 37.5 kg N, 2 5, 2 P O K O + 5 t FYM/ha recorded significantly higher yield attributes as well as dry root yield (837 kg/ha), seed 2 5, 2 yield (1.28 t/ha), N, P and K uptake and total withanolide content than rest of the fertilizer levels. The broad bed and furrow planting registered higher gross returns ( 2,20,379/ha), net returns ( 1,60,796/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (3.67), followed by ridge and furrow and flat bed. The spacing of 30 cm 20 cm and fertilized with 75, 37.5, 37.5 kg N, P O K O + 5 t FYM/ha resulted in the maximum gross returns, net returns and benefit: cost ratio than 2 5, 2 the others.
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