kalita, JayantaGoswami, Himashree2023-11-182023-11-182021https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810201486A field experiment was conducted during rabi, 2020-21 at the PG experimental plot of the department of agronomy, BNCA to assess seed priming and moisture conservation measures on babycorn under rainfed situation for productivity and profitability. The soil of the experimental site was acidic (pH 4.64), sandy loam in texture, medium in organic carbon (0.64%), low in available N (232.06 kg ha-1), P2O5 (13.84 kg ha-1)and K2O (115.27 kg ha-1). The treatments consist of 4 levels of seed priming technologies viz. S0: No priming; S1: Seed priming with 1% urea solution; S2: priming with 1% potash solution (MOP); S3: priming with 3 times diluted cow urine and 3 levels of soil moisture conservation measures viz. M0: No mulching; M1: use of bio mulch; M2: use of black polythene mulch replicated three times in factorial randomized block design. Results revealed that the performance of different seed priming methods in seedling emergence of babycorn crop was significant upto 6 days after sowing but different moisture conservation measures could not bring any significant effect in the field emergence of babycorn seedlings. The highest and quick seedling emergence (11.96 numbers m-2) was recorded under the treatment of seed priming with three times diluted cow urine which was at par with the treatment of seed priming with 1% urea solution and 1% KCl (MOP) solution. Different growth, yield attributing characters and yield of babycorn were also significantly affected due to moisture conservation measures but seed priming methods could not bring any significant effect on growth and yield parameters. The total number of leaves m-2 , total leaf area plant-1 and leaf area index (LAI) of babycorn were also changed significantly due to different moisture conservation measures but those parameters remain static due to different seed priming methods. The CGR (g m-2 day-1), RGR, (g g-1 day-1) and NAR (mg cm-1 day-1) of babycorn were also changed significantly due to different soil moisture conservation measures. The highest and significant babycorn yield without husk(22.59 q ha-1) with 305.61 q ha-1 of green fodder yield were recorded under the treatment where black polythene mulching was used as soil moisture conservation measure. The significantly highest harvest index (6.00), production efficiency (25.67 kg-1 Day-1 ha-1) and nutrient use productivity (9.41 kg-1 ha-1 kg-1) were recorded under the treatment of moisture conservation by using black polythene mulching. Different seed priming methods and soil moisture conservation measures could not bring any significant effect on the post crop soil reaction and organic carbon content in soil but the NPK status of soil after harvest of babycorn were significantly affected by different soil moisture conservation measures. The highest gross return (Rs. 372782 ha-1), net return (Rs. 213372 ha-1), B:C (2.34) ratio and economic efficiency (Rs. 2425ha-1 Day-1) were recorded superior where seeds were primed with 1% potash (MOP) solution and black polythene mulch recorded a gross return(Rs. 399972 ha-1), net return (Rs. 231132 ha-1), B:C (2.37) ratio and economic efficiency (Rs. 2627ha-1 Day-1). From the present investigation, it can be concluded that the babycorn crop can be grown for higher productivity and profitably by following seed priming with 1% urea, 1% potash (MOP) solution or 3 times diluted cow urine for eight hours alongwith black polythene mulching as soil moisture conservation measure.EnglishThesis