Nitrogen management strategies for boosting growth and yield in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea)

SHITAL  KUMAR; RAMANJIT  KAUR; TEEKAM  SINGH; ANCHAL  DASS; R N  SAHOO; RAJEEV  RANJAN; SUNIL  KUMAR

doi:10.56093/ijas.v95i7.156500

Authors

SHITAL KUMAR ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
RAMANJIT KAUR ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
TEEKAM SINGH ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
ANCHAL DASS ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
R N SAHOO ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
RAJEEV RANJAN ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
SUNIL KUMAR ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v95i7.156500

Keywords:

Drone, Indian mustard, Nano urea, Nitrogen, Production efficiency

Abstract

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) plays a crucial role in Indian agriculture, industry, and trade, yet the country's dependence on edible oil imports necessitates enhanced domestic production. Beyond economic significance, mustard cultivation contributes to environmental sustainability by improving soil structure, preventing erosion, and enhancing nutrient uptake through its deep root system. The field experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) seasons of 2022–23 and 2023–24 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to assess the impact of nitrogen management techniques on mustard growth and yield. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The study included eight treatments i.e. T₁, Control; T₂, 100% N (Farmer’s practice); T₃, 40% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 days after sowing (DAS) and 60 DAS through knapsack sprayer (2SNU-KS); T₄, 50% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 DAS and 60 DAS through knapsack sprayer; T₅, 60% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 DAS and 60 DAS through knapsack sprayer; T₆, 40% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 DAS and 60 DAS through drone (2SNU-D); T₇, 50% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 DAS and 60 DAS through drone and T₈, 60% N (basal) + 2 sprays of nano urea at 45 DAS and 60 DAS through drone. Among the treatments, T₈ exhibited superior performance, enhancing the growth parameters, including plant height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation compared to knapsack sprayer, conventional methods, and control. This treatment also recorded the highest yield attributes, including the number of siliquae/plant (541.3), seeds/siliqua (13.9), and seed yield (2742 kg/ha), underscoring the efficiency of drone-mediated nitrogen application. These findings highlight the potential of optimized nitrogen management and drone technology in enhancing oilseed production while promoting environmentally sustainable agriculture.

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