APPROACH TO HIGHER PRODUCTION OF GRASSPEATHROUGH MANIPULATING ITS CANOPY STRUCTURE

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka to study the effects of shoot clipping of grasspea on its growth and yield during the period of November 2017 to February 2018. The experiment was consisted of two factors viz. (1) two varieties of grasspea V 1 (BARI Khesari-3) and V 2 (BARI Khesari-4) and (2) six levels of shoot clipping, viz. C 0 (No shoot clipping), C 1 (Shoot clipping at 10 cm plant height), C 2 (Shoot clipping at 15 cm plant height), C 3 (Shoot clipping at 20 cm plant height), C 4 (Shoot clipping at 25 cm plant height) and C 5 (Shoot clipping at 30 cm plant height). The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications. Results revealed that both varieties had similar performance during their growth and development. Shoot clipping at 20 cm plant height showed better performance comparing other clipping treatment. Considering combined effect of variety and shoot clipping, both varieties gave maximum seed yields (1.55- 1.61 t ha ) which was about 27.4 % greater than without practice ( without clipping, V 1 V 2 C 0 ) when they were being clipped down at 20 cm plant height. However, the highest number of pods plant -1 (28.10), number of seeds pod -1 (3.70), and grain yield (1.55 and 1.61 t ha -1 ) were found from treatment combination V 1 and V 2 C 3, respectively. Treatment V 2 C 3 produced significantly higher yields (1.61 t ha -1 ) due to maximum pods plant -1 (28.10) and seeds pod -1 (3.70). C 3, -1 C 0,