Mastiholi, Anand B.BHAT, GANESH NARASIMHAKattimani, K. N.E., RajashekharG., Prabhuling2020-10-122020-10-122018-07UHS16PGM765https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810153276An investigation was carried out to study the “Effect of spacing and biofertilizers on growth, yield and quality of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.)” during rabi, 2017-18 at Main Horticultural Research and Extension Centre (MHREC), UHS, Udyangiri, Bagalkot which comes under Northern Dry Zone of Karnataka. Significantly higher plant height (75.40 cm), biomass production per plot (9.70 kg) and per hectare (7.19 t), and the highest number of days taken for 50 per cent flowering (44.83) were recorded when garden cress was supplied with Azotobacter chroococcum applied @ 5 kg ha-1 + phosphate solubilizing bacteria @ 5 kg ha-1 with spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm (T1). Maximum number of primary branches (19.12), number of leaves (44.0) and total dry matter accumulation (44.90 g) per plant were observed in the treatment applied with Azotobacter chroococcum applied @ 5 kg ha-1 + phosphate solubilizing bacteria @ 5 kg ha-1 with spacing of 45 cm x 20 cm (T6). Similarly, yield parameters such as number of siliquae per plant (1473.79), seed yield per plant (21.33 g) and test weight (2.20 g) were also significantly higher in T6. Significantly higher seed yield (2.50 kg/plot & 1.85 t/ha), harvesting index (0.383) and oil yield (291.07 kg/ha) were recorded in T1. But the length of silique, number of seeds per silique and oil content were not responded significantly due to biofertilizers and spacing levels. Higher net returns (1, 27,789 Rs./ha) and B: C ratio (2.68) was obtained with the application of Azotobacter chroococcum @ 5 kg ha-1 + phosphate solubilizing bacteria @ 5 kg ha-1 with spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm (T1). Hence, crop supplied with A. chroococcum @ 5 kg ha-1 + PSB@ 5 kg ha-1 with spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm was found better for the cultivation of garden cress under Northern Dry Zone (Zone 3) of Karnataka.EnglishThesis