Influence of sowing time and seed rate on seed quality of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.)

Abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted at the department of Seed Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur during rabi 2024 to optimize the sowing time and seed rate on seed quality of sunn hemp. The experiment consists of twenty treatments i.e., five sowing dates (1st week of September, 3rd week of September, 1stweek of October, 3rd week of October and 1st week of November) and four seed rates (15, 20, 25 and 30 kg per hectare) in FCRD with four replications. The results revealed that significantly highest seed germination (85.94%), shoot length(13.10 cm), root length (13.88 cm) and seedling vigour index I (2319) and numerically highest seedling dry weight (17.94 mg)and seedling vigour index II (1542) was recorded in sowing sunn hemp in 3rd week of September (D2). While, the 1st week of November (D5) sowing has recorded the lowest values for all the parameters. Among the different seed rates used, the seedrate of 15 kg per ha has recorded numerically higher seed germination (83.64%), shoot length (12.71 cm), root length(11.60 cm) seedling dry weight (18.03 mg) and seedling vigour index I and II (2039 and 1509, respectively). Hence, for sunnhemp seed production sowing can be taken up from 3rd week of September (D2) to 1st week of October (D3) with a seed rateof 15 kg per hectare was found to be superior from the above study