Effect of land configurations on growth and yield of Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) varieties in kharif season

Introduction

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2024 to evaluate the effect of three land configurations flat bed, ridges and furrow, and broad bed furrow and three finger millet varieties Phule Nachani, Phule Kasari, and Dapoli-1 on the growth, yield, and economics of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn). The results demonstrated that the broad bed furrow system consistently outperformed other land configurations, producing significantly superior growth parameters including plant height, number of tillers, functional leaves, leaf area, and dry matter accumulation. Similarly, the variety Dapoli-1 showed the best performance among the genotypes for most growth and yield attributes. These improvements translated into significantly higher yield components, culminating in the highest grain and straw yields being recorded with the broad bed furrow system, while Dapoli-1 also yielded the highest grain among the varieties. Economically, the combination of broad bed furrow and Dapoli-1 proved most profitable, yielding the highest net monetary returns and benefit-cost ratio. The interaction between land configuration and varieties was found to be non-significant for all parameters. It is concluded that adopting the broad bed furrow method for cultivating the Dapoli-1 variety is a highly effective strategy for maximizing productivity and profitability in finger millet production under the conditions of this study.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2024 at the Agronomy Section of the College of Agricultural Biotechnology, Latur, Maharashtra, to study the effect of land configurations and varieties on finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn). The soil of the experimental site was clayey, moderately alkaline (pH 7.08), with low available nitrogen (228 kg ha⁻¹), medium phosphorus (15.70 kg ha⁻¹), and very high potassium (421 kg ha⁻¹). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, featuring three land configurations (Flat bed, Ridges and furrows, Broad Bed Furrow -BBF) as main plots and three varieties (Phule Nachani, Phule Kasari, Dapoli-1) as sub-plots, resulting in nine treatment combinations. The crop was sown on July 9, 2024, using a dibbling method at a spacing of 30 x 10 cm. Recommended agronomic practices were followed, including seed treatment, application of fertilizers (50% N, full P₂O₅, and K₂O as basal; remaining 50% N as top dressing), two weedings, two insecticide sprays, and one protective irrigation. Observations on growth parameters (plant height, tillers, functional leaves, dry matter, leaf area), yield attributes, and yield were recorded at periodic intervals. Soil samples were analyzed pre-sowing and post-harvest. Economic analysis (gross and net returns, B:C ratio) was performed. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, and correlation studies were conducted between yield and various growth attributes.

Results and Discussion

Growth attributes

Growth attributing characters of finger millet viz., plant height (cm), number of tillers plant -1 , and number of functional leaves plant -1 , leaf area plant -1 (dm 2 ) and total dry matter production plant -1 (g), were influenced significantly by different land configurations and varieties are presented in Table 1.

Effect of land configurations

Among the land configurations, the broad bed furrow (L₃) system resulted in higher growth attributes, viz., number of tillers plant⁻¹ (2.76), number of functional leaves plant⁻¹ (32.97), leaf area (9.53 dm²), and dry matter production plant⁻¹ (21.93 g), which were at par with ridges and furrow (L₂) and significantly superior to the flat bed (L₁). However, the highest plant height (115.3 cm) was recorded under the broad bed furrow (L₃), which was significantly superior to the other configurations. The significant differences in growth attributes due to land configurations might be attributed to improved soil conditions, moisture conservation, and nutrient availability. Similar results were reported by Sanjivkumar et al. (2022) [6] .

Effect of varieties

Among the different varieties, Dapoli-1 (V₃) produced a higher number of tillers plant⁻¹ (2.69), number of functional leaves plant⁻¹ (31.35), leaf area plant⁻¹ (9.72 dm²), and dry matter production plant⁻¹ (22.10 g), which was at par with Phule Kasari (V₂) and found significantly superior to Phule Nachani (V₁). However, the highest value of plant height (113.0 cm) was recorded by Dapoli-1 (V₃), which was at par with Phule Kasari (V₂) and significantly superior to Phule Nachani (V₁). The significant differences in growth attributes among varieties could be attributed to their inherent genetic potential for growth and development. Varieties with superior genetic constitutions, like Dapoli-1, are better equipped to utilize available resources, leading to enhanced tillering, leaf production, photosynthetic area, and biomass accumulation. Similar results were recorded by Prakash et al. (2018) [3] and Reddy et al. (2021) [5] .

Yield

Data in Table 2 revealed that grain and biological yield of finger millet were affected significantly due to land configurations and varieties.

Effect of land configurations

Among the land configurations, the highest grain yield (2805 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (9988 kg ha⁻¹) were recorded in broad bed furrow (L₃) which was significantly superior to ridges and furrow (L₂) and flat bed (L₁). The highest value of harvest index (29%) was also recorded in broad bed furrow (L₃). The significant differences in yield due to land configurations might be attributed to improved soil physical conditions, enhanced moisture conservation, and better nutrient availability, which collectively promoted superior growth and yield attributes. Similar results were reported by Krishnaprabu (2015) [1] and Sanjivkumar et al. (2022) [5] .

Effect of varieties

Among the varieties, Dapoli-1 (V₃) recorded the highest grain yield (2704 kg ha⁻¹) and biological yield (9897 kg ha⁻¹), which was at par with Phule Kasari (V₂) and found significantly superior to Phule Nachani (V₁). The highest value for harvest index (29%) was also recorded in Dapoli-1 (V₃). The improved yield in the superior variety might be due to its enhanced genetic potential for growth and yield attributes, such as a higher number of tillers, greater leaf area, and increased dry matter production. Thus, the inherent genetic superiority of the Dapoli-1 variety was the primary reason for its higher productivity. Similar results were recorded by Rathore et al. (2018) [4] and Nagarajan et al. (2021) [2] .

Interaction effect

The effect of interaction between land configurations and varieties on growth attributes and yield were found to be nonsignificant.

Conclusion

The broad bed furrow system and Dapoli-1 variety independently produced the highest finger millet yields. Their interaction was non-significant, showing consistent performance. Broad bed furrow improved soil conditions and moisture, while Dapoli-1's genetics enhanced resource use. Combining both is recommended for optimal productivity.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementWe are grateful to College of Agriculture, Latur, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani for the financial assistance and infrastructure facilities provided for the conduct of the work.

References

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