Effect of planting methods and plant population on growth, yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)
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Date
2014
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
A field study was conducted during kharif 2013 at the Students’ Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on loamy sand soil, testing low in organic carbon and available nitrogen and medium in available P and K to study the effect of planting methods and plant population on growth, yield and quality of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications comprising four planting methods (flat 30 cm, ridge 45 cm, ridge 60 cm and bed 67.5 cm) in main plots and three plant population (1,33,334, 1,66,667 and 2,00,000 plants ha-1) in sub plots. The study revealed that flat 30 cm and bed 67.5 cm planting methods being statistically at par with each other produced significantly higher fresh, dry and processed rhizome yield as well as curcumin and oil yield of turmeric owing to better growth and yield attributing characters viz., plant height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, tillers per plant as well as number and weight of rhizomes per plant than ridge 45 cm and ridge 60 cm planting methods. Among the plant population levels, dry matter accumulation and tillers per plant as well as number and weight of rhizomes per plant were significantly higher with 1,33,334 plants ha-1 than 1,66,667 and 2,00,000 plants ha-1 but fresh, dry and processed rhizome yield as well as curcumin and oil yield were significantly higher with 1,66,667 and 2,00,000 plants ha-1 than 1,33,334 plants ha-1 mainly due to more number of plants per unit area. Curcumin content and oil content were not significantly influenced by different planting methods and plant population.