EFFECT OF VARIETY AND PLANT SPACING ON SEED YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF BLACK CUMIN (Nigella sativa L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka, Bangladesh during Rabi season (November–February), 2012 to study the yield performance of Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) in response to variety and population density. Two varieties and six levels of spacing were used in the experiment. The two varieties were V1= Local (collected from Vikrampur), V2= BARI Kalozira-1 and used spacings were as follows: S1= 15 cm x10 cm, S2= 20 cm x10 cm, S3= 25 cm x10 cm, S4= 15 cm x15 cm, S5= 20 cm x15 cm and S6= 25 cm x15 cm. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block (RCBD) design having twelve treatments with 3 replications. The variety BARI Kalozira-1 showed higher values for all the growth and yield attributes than local variety. BARI Kalozira-1 produced a seed yield of 1373.09 kg/ha where Local variety produced 1239.57 kg/ha. All of the growth and yield parameters except 1000-seed weight were significantly influenced by various spacing used in this experiment. The wider spacing of 25 cm × 15 cm provided maximum plant height at last harvest. The yield attributing factors like number of capsules plant-1, number of seeds capsule-1, single capsule weight (mg), weight of seeds capsule-1 (mg), weight of seeds plant-1 (g), 1000-seed weight (g) and seed yield (kg/ha) were found the highest either in 20 cm × 15 cm or 25 cm × 15 cm spacing. The interaction effect of variety and spacing was found significant for all of the growth and yield contributing factors as well as for seed yield. Number of plants m-2 was significantly higher in lower spacings for both of the varieties. Yield attributing factors like number of seeds capsule-1, number of capsules plant-1, single capsule weight (mg), weight of seeds capsule-1 (mg), weight of seeds plant-1 (g), 1000-seed weight (g) and seed yield (kg/ha) were found the highest either in 20 cm × 15 cm or 25 cm × 15 cm spacing treatment in case of BARI Kalozira-1. Highest seed yield was recorded (1458.19 kg/ha) in BARI Kalozira-1 with the spacing of 20 cm × 15 cm.