THAKUR, ASHOK KPANWAR, ABHISHEK2019-11-162019-11-162019-09http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810135508ABSTRACT The present investigations entitled ‘Studies on Seed Pelleting and Sowing Dates of Direct Sown Onion (Allium cepa L.)’ were carried out during rabi season of 2016-17and 2017-18 in the experimental farm and laboratory of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP. The seeds of onion cv. Palam Lohit were pelleted with Acorus calamus leaf powder + clay, Vitex negendu leaf powder + clay, Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay, Albezia chinensis leaf powder + clay, Adhatoda vasica leaf powder + clay, Tegetus species leaf powder + clay, Artemesia roxburghiana leaf powder + clay, Lantana camara leaf powder + clay, Eucalyptus species leaf powder + clay, Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay, Cinnamomum camphora leaf powder + clay, Cymbopogan flexuosus leaf powder + clay, clay and unpelleted seed were taken as control. The first experiment was conducted to study the effect of seed pelleting on seed quality during storage. The pelleted seeds were stored at ambient conditions for 9 months in the plastic boxes. The seed quality was tested at three months interval i.e. immediately after treatment (i.e. zero month), three months, six months and nine months storage. Highest germination (81.75%), seedling length (11.20 cm), seedling dry weight (1.82 g), seedling vigour index- I (920.33), seedling vigour index- II (148.90) and speed of germination (26.57) were observed in onion seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay. Among the storage periods, fresh pelleted seed (0 month) showed maximum values with respect to germination (86.50%), seedling length (13.38 cm), seedling dry weight (2.02 g), seedling vigour index- length (1154.50), seedling vigour index- mass (173.52) and speed of germination (29.04) were highest in the fresh seeds (0 month) pelleted with the Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay closely followed by Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay. Germination and vigour of seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay decreased with increase in storage time, however, the rate of deterioration of pelleted seeds was lower than the unpelleted control. The second experiment was conducted in the field using the pelleted seeds for direct seeding and crop was evaluated for bulb crop parameters. The seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clayand Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay sown directly showed maximum values w.r.t. emergence (91.50 %), plant height at 60 days after sowing (35.35 cm), average leaf length (38.43cm), number of leaves per plant (8.67), number of days to harvesting (233.49). polar diameter (46.72 mm), equatorial diameter (57.77 mm), bulb size index (2699.74 ), neck thickness (12.12 mm), number of bulb per plot (89.00) average bulb weight (75.24 g), bulb yield (6.67 kg per plot or 400.01 q per ha), plant height before neck fall stage (58.55 cm). From the present studies, it can be concluded that onion seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay showed significant effects for enhancing seed quality, growth, qualityand yield ofbulb crop raised through direct seeding.ennullThesis