Impact of Different Doses of Fertiliser and Crop Geometry on Growth, Seed and Oil Quality, Consumptive Water Use, Water Use Efficiency and Soil Moisture Extraction in Late Sown Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Crop

A field experiment was conducted at regional research station, Bawal, CCS HAU, Hisar during Rabi 2015-16 to study the response of late sown Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) to different dose of fertilizer and crop geometry. The experiment was conducted in split-plot design with four fertilizer dose viz. 70% of the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), 85% RDF, 100% RDF, 115% RDF in main plot and six crop geometry, viz. 30 cm x 10 cm, 25 cm x 15 cm, 30 cm x 15 cm, 25 cm x 20 cm, 30 cm x 20 cm and 25 cm x 25 cm in sub plots. The results revealed that numbers of primary and secondary branches per plant were significantly higher 115% RDF than 70% RDF, but it was at par with 85% and 100% RDF at all stages of crop growth. Wider crop geometry of 25 cm x 25 cm recorded significantly higher number of primary and secondary branches than narrow crop geometry (30 cm x 10 cm) at all growth stages of crop. Highest oil content was obtained in crop geometry of 30 cm x 10 cm along with application of 70% RDF, whereas, highest protein content was recorded in crop geometry of 25 cm x 25 cm along with application of 115% RDF. Late sown Indian mustard at crop geometry of 25 cm x 15 cm along with application of 85% RDF recorded highest water use efficiency however, highest consumptive use of water was recorded in 25 cm x 25 cm crop geometry along with application of 115% RDF.