INFLUENCE OF PLANT DENSITY AND SOWING DATE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during the period from October 2021 to March 2022 to evaluate the influence of plant density and sowing date on growth and yield of quinoa. The experiment was laid out in a Split-plot design with three replications having three plant density as 25 plants m -2 (P 1 ), 50 plants m -2 (P 2 ) and 75 plants m ii

-2 (P 3 ) and six sowing dates as 30 October sowing (D 1 ), 15 November sowing (D 2 ), 30 November sowing (D 3 ),15 December sowing (D 4 ), 30 December sowing (D 5 ) and 15 January sowing (D 6 ). Data on different growth parameters, yield components and yield were recorded. The collected data were statistically analyzed. Number of branches plant (except at harvest), effective branches plant -1 at harvest were significantly affected by P 1 ; ineffective branches plant -1 at harvest, dry weight plant -1 (except at 25 DAS), 1000-seed weight were significantly affected by P 2 and seed yield and biological yield were significantly affected by P 3 and P 2 but plant height (except at 25 DAS), number of leaves plant -1 (except 65 DAS) and harvest index were not significantly affected by plant density. All growth and yield parameters were significantly influenced by sowing date. The sowing date resulted highest plant height (70.71 cm), branches plant -1 (16.93), effective branches plant -1 (14.09) were obtained from D 4 ; leaves plant -1 (82.23) was obtained from D 3 at harvest. At harvest, highest seed yield (3.23 t ha -1 ) and biological yield (5.13 t ha -1 ) were recorded from D 3 and highest straw yield (2.08 t ha -1 ) was recorded from D 4 . Considering interaction effect of plant density and sowing date, all parameters were significantly affected where the interaction of P 3 (75 plants m ) with 30 November sowing (D 3 ) resulted highest seed (3.56 t ha -1 ) and biological yield (5.67 t ha -1 ). Besides, P 2 (50 plants m -2 ) with 30 November sowing (D 3 ) and also P 3 (75 plants m -2 ) with 15 November sowing (D 2 ) ensured higher seed yield (3.27 t ha -1 and 3.20 t ha -1 respectively).