Dhillon, Buta SinghRenu Bala2019-07-092019-07-092019http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810113375Investigations entitled “Performance of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) in response to sowing methods and seed rates” were undertaken at Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18. The soil of experimental fields was loamy sand in texture, low in available N and organic carbon but medium in available P and K. The experiment was laid out in split plot design keeping six sowing methods i.e. bed (one row), bed (two rows), ridge (one row), ridge (two rows), flat (60 cm) and flat (30 cm) in main plots and four seed rates (0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 kg ha-1) in sub-plots. It was observed that initiation and completion of emergence was a day earlier under ridge and bed sowing as compared to flat sowing due to relatively higher soil temperature at 5 cm soil depth. Growth, photosynthetic parameters and dry matter partitioning (%) to root were higher under bed (one row) and ridge (two rows) than other sowing methods. Yield attributes viz. root length, root volume and root weight per plant were significantly better under bed (one row) and ridge (one row) but the superiority of yield attributes under bed (one row) could not be translated into root yield due to comparatively low plant population. The highest root yield under bed (two rows) and ridge (one row) was contributed by higher plant population and better yield attributes, respectively. Although crop sown as flat (30 and 60 cm) also gave root yield similar to former sowing methods but roots obtained under flat sowing were physically distorted (i.e. having higher per cent of forking and cracking). Root quality parameters viz. inulin content, TSS and protein content did not vary significantly under different sowing methods. Increased seed rate caused consistent improvement in emergence count, growth, photosynthetic parameters and final plant population. The parameters namely, number of leaves per plant, chlorophyll content index and chlorophyll fluorescence showed increasing trend only up to 1.0 kg ha-1 seed rate. Yield attributes like root diameter, root volume and root weight per plant decreased but root length increased in response to increment in seed rate. Similarly, shoot yield increased linearly but enhancement in root yield was recorded only up to 1.0 kg ha-1 seed rate. Root: shoot and root quality parameters did not vary due to seed rate. The correlation and path analysis studies indicated direct positive effect of final emergence count, final plant population, plant height at harvest, root length and shoot yield on root yield of chicory but dry matter of root at harvest showed positive indirect effect on root yield via. plant population.ennullThesis