ISSN : 2322-0627
EISSN : 2322-0635
YADAV G.S.1
1Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Research Complex, NEH Region, Tripura, India.
Received : 01-10-2012 Accepted : 04-07-2013 Published : 12-08-2013
Volume : 1 Issue : 1 Pages : 1 - 4
World Res J Trop Agr 1.1 (2013):1-4
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is emerging as a new cash crop in India where it is grown as rabi season vegetable crop and fetches very high price. A field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Experimental Farm, Division of Natural Resource Management, ICAR (RC) NEH Region for Tripura centre, West Tripura, to see the effect of zero tillage basin planting and N nutrition on growth, yield, water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency of late planted broccoli. The experimental design was a split plot replicated three times. The experiments consisted of four methods of planting (main plots) and four levels of nitrogen (sub-plots). Zero tillage basin planting system recorded lowest plant mortality, consume less water, highest head formation ratio, curd weight (g), compactness coefficient (g cm-1), marketable plant biomass (t ha-1), marketable yield (t ha-1), nitrogen use efficiency (kg marketable yield kg-1 N applied) and water productivity (kg marketable yield m-3). Besides that it was also saves 71.2% water over flat bed planting system. Application of 180 kg N ha-1 was significantly superior in improving the head formation ratio, curd weight (g), compactness coefficient (g cm-1), marketable plant biomass (t ha-1), marketable yield (t ha-1) and water productivity (kg marketable yield m-3), however, nitrogen use efficiency (kg marketable yield kg-1 N applied) was higher with 60 kg N ha-1. Our study showed, the zero tillage basin planting with 180 kg N ha-1 is an alternative system for small holder farmers of North East India for growing late planted broccoli under limited water availability.