Productivity and Economics of Nigella Nigella sativa L Varieties to Sowing Window and Crop Geometry in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Abstract

A field experiment entitled Productivity and economics of seed spice nigella newline(Nigella sativa L.) varieties to sowing window and crop geometry in Northern transition newlinezone of Karnataka was conducted during rabi season of 2019-20 and 2020-21 at newlineHorticulture Research and Extension Centre, Devihosur, (District: Haveri, Karnataka) newlinewhich is situated in the Northern transition zone (Zone 8) of Karnataka. The experiment newlinewas laid out in split-split plot design on medium deep black clay loam soils. The soil newlinewas low in nitrogen, medium in phosphorus and potassium status. The treatments newlineincluded three sowing windows (October II, November I and II fortnights) as main newlineplots, two varieties (AN 1 and AN 20) as sub plots and four crop geometry (22.5 x 10 newlinecm, 30.0 x 10 cm, 37.5 x 10 cm and 45.0 x 10 cm) as sub-sub plots and replicated newlinethrice. Sowing of nigella during November I fortnight recorded significantly higher seed newlineyield (1344 kg ha-1), stalk yield (1770 kg ha-1) and biological yield (3416 kg ha-1) which newlinewas 14.8, 12.8 and 13.7 per cent higher, respectively compared to October II fortnight newlinesowing which was recorded significantly least. The nigella variety AN 1 produced newlinesignificantly higher seed yield (1324 kg ha-1), stalk yield (1746 kg ha-1) and biological newlineyield (3367 kg ha-1) compared to AN 20. The spacing of 30.0 x 10 cm recorded newlinesignificantly higher seed yield (1445 kg ha-1), stalk yield (1869 kg ha-1) and biological newlineyield (3635 kg ha-1) and it was on par with closer spacing of 22.5 x 10 cm. Among the newlineinteraction significantly higher nigella seed yield (1604 kg ha-1), essential oil yield (9.71 newlinekg ha-1), net returns (and#1048576; 1, 99, 647 ha-1) and B:C ratio (4.50) was obtained with a sowing newlinewindow of November I fortnight with AN 1 variety at a spacing of 30.0 x 10 cm in newlineNorthern transition zone of Karnataka. The next best interaction was November I newlinefortnight sowing with AN 1 variety at a spacing 22.5 x 10 cm with significantly higher newlineseed yield (1489 kg ha-1), net returns (and#1048576; 1,81,244 ha-1) and B:C ratio (4.18).