INFLUENCE OF PLANT DENSITY ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

The experiment was carried out in Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during the period from November 2019 to February 2020 to evaluate the influence of plant density on growth and yield of quinoa. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block design (factorial) with three replications having three rows spacing as 30 cm (L 1 ii

), 40 cm (L 2 ) and 50 cm (L 3 ) and four plant spacing as 15 cm (P 1 ), 20 cm (P 2 ), 25 cm (P 3 ) and 30 cm (P 4 ). Data on different growth parameters, yield components and yield were recorded. The collected data were statistically analyzed. Seed yield, straw yield and biological yield were significantly affected by closer row spacing (L 1 ) but plant height, number of branches plant -1 , number of leaves plant -1 , dry weight plant , effective inflorescences plant -1 , ineffective inflorescences plant -1 -1 , seed weight plant , husk weight plant -1 , 1000-seed weight and harvest index were not significantly affected by row spacing. For plant spacing, 1000-seed weight, seed yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index were not significantly affected but all other parameters significantly influenced by plant spacing. Results showed that the highest plant height (67.96 cm at 50 DAS ), number of leaves plant (16.17 at 25 DAS), number of branches plant -1 (1.26, 11.44, 16.00 at 25, 50 and at harvest, respectively), effecetive inflorescences plant -1 -1 (16.13), seed weight plant (11.33 g), dry weight plant -1 (0.17 g at 30 DAS ), ineffective inflorescences plant (1.42), husk weight plant -1 (2.61 g) were recorded from wider spacing of P 3 and lowest ineffective inflorescence plant -1 (0.70) was found from plant spacing of P 4 . Considering interaction effect of row and plant spacing, 1000-seed weight was insignificant but all other parameters were significantly affected where the highest seed yield (2.15 t ha -1 ) and straw yield (1.59 t ha -1 ) was recorded in lower row spacing 30 cm (L 1 ) with 20 cm plant spacing.