Nitrogen management strategies for boosting growth and yield in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea)
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 im...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
2025-06-01
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| Series: | The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IJAgS/article/view/156500 |
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| Summary: | 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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| ISSN: | 0019-5022 2394-3319 |