Effects of seed rates on the growth and yield of different sunflower varieties

Abstract

The study was conducted at student’s Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam to evaluate growth and yield of sunflower varieties as affected by seed rates during 2015. The experiment was laid out three replicated randomized complete block design (RCBD) Factorial. The treatments included 03 seed rates and 03 sunflower varieties. Net plot size was used in the experiment 3m x 3m = 9m². The seed rates were kept as Factor A (S₁ = 5 kg, S₂ = 7.5 kg and S₃ = 10 kg ha^-1) and varieties as Factor B (V₁ = HO-1, V₂ = NKS–278 and V₃ = Hysun - 38). In the present study sunflower varieties tested with seed rates, showed maximum mean plant height (125.33) cm, stem girth (6.28) cm, seed weight head^-1 (44.94) g, seed index 1000 seed weight (69.89) g, head diameter (33.37) and  seeds head^-1 (690) at the seed rate 5 kg ha^-1. Maximum mean seed yield kg ha^-1 (2276.8) and the maximum mean plant population m² (14.89) were recorded at the seed rate 10 kg ha^-1. Whereas, minimum mean stem girth cm (5.96), head diameter cm (31.02), seeds head^-1 (610), seed weight head^-1 (34.58), seed index 1000 seed weight g (52.33) were recorded at the seed rate 10 kg ha^-1. And minimum mean seed yield kg ha^-1 (1836.7) and plant population m² (7.22) were recorded at seed rate 5 kg ha^-1. In case of varieties maximum mean of plant population m² (11.78), plant height cm (184.8), stem girth cm (7.83), Head diameter cm (37.28), seeds head^-1 (1028), seed weight head^-1 g (64.63), seed index 1000 seed weight g (63.78) and seed yield kg ha^-1 (2061.7) were recorded in variety HO-1 whereas minimum mean of plant population m² (10.22), plant height cm (89.41), stem girth cm (4.54), seeds head^-1 (433), seed weight head^-1 g (26.67), seed yield kg ha^-1 (1990) were recorded in variety Hysun-38 and minimum head diameter cm (27.11), Seed index 1000 seed weight g (59.00) were observed in the variety NKS-278.

Keywords: Growth; Yield; Seed rates

http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.600127