EFFECT OF PLANT SPACING AND HARVEST INTERVAL ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF GIMAKALMI (lpomoea reptans poir)

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of different plant spacing and harvesting intervals on the growth and yield of Gimakalrni at the I lorticulture Farm of the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. Dhaka during the period from May to August 2006. There were four levels of plant spacing viz. S1: 30 cmx 5 cm, S2: 30 cm x 10 cm. S3: 30 cm x 15 cm and S4: 30 cm x 20 cm and three harvest intervals viz. 10, 15 and 20 days as treatments of the experiment. Plant spacing S3 as 30 cm x 15 cm gave the longest (32.43 cm) plant per harvest and the shortest (28.17 cm) plant was recorded from S1 at plant spacing 30 cm x 5 cm. Plant spacing S3 gave the maximum (59.78 g) fresh weight of plant and the minimum (50.26 g) fresh weight of plant was recorded from S1• The maximum (14.56%) dry matter content was recorded from S3 and the minimum (10.82%) was obtained from S1• The highest (83.62%) foliage coverage was recorded from S3 and the lowest (76.12%) was recorded from S2. The highest (67.00 t/ha) yield was recorded from S3 and the lowest (54.38 t/ha) was recorded from S Harvesting time at 15 days interval (H2) gave the longest (39.17 cm) plant per harvest and the shortest ( 17.31 cm) plant was recorded from H 1• at 10 days harvesting interval. Harvesting time H2 gave the maximum (63.12 g) fresh weight of plant and the II 1 minimum (46.02 g) was recorded from H1• Harvesting time H2 gave the maximum (13.43%) dry matter content and the minimum (12.02%) was recorded from H1• Harvesting time H2 gave the highest (81.50%) foliage coverage and the lowest (73.93%) was recorded from H1• Harvesting time H2 gave the highest (63.78 t/ha) yield and the lowest (59.42 t/ha) was recorded from H3. The longest (42. l 5 cm) plant was recorded from S3H2 (30 cm x 15 cm plant spacing and harvesting at 15 days interval) and the shortest ( 16.03 cm) plant was recorded from S1H1 (30 cm x 5 cm plant spacing and harvesting al 10 days interval). The maximum (68.72 g) fresh weight of plant was recorded from S3H2 and the minimum (40.32 g) was recorded from S1H1• The maximum (15.89%) dry matter content was recorded from S3H2 and the minimum (10.01%) was recorded from S1H1• The highest (88.00%) foliage coverage was recorded from S3H2 and the lowest (70.71%) was obtained from S1H1• The highest (70.36 t/ha) yield was recorded from S3Ih and the lowest (50.99 t/ha) was recorded from S1H1.