A field experiment was conducted on field pea in alluvial soil growth under rice fallow system of Kalyani AB Block Farm in West Bengal during Rabi 2021-22. Nine treatments were tested in randomised block design with three replications, Treatment combinations included were different priming methods and at different seed rates. The results showed that treatments with 1% KNO3 priming + 120 kg/ha seed rate (T9) and hydro priming + 120 kg/ha (T6) were on par with each other and recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributes over other treatments. However, treatment with hydro priming + 100 kg/ha (T5) excelled over the other treatments by recording a highest B:C ratio of 2.93.

Seed rate, Priming, Rice fallow, KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and Hydropriming

More number of plants were recorded as a result of seed priming and higher seed rates, than no seed priming and lesser seed rates. Hydro priming also resulted in more vigour of seeds and established a greater plant stand. The increased seed rate caused plants to grow taller to compete for more solar light harnessing. The priming of KNO3 might also have contributed to the rise in plant height along with branching, as potassium encourages cell division and cell elongation, which results in internodal elongation which in turn leads to the highest dry matter accumulation, yield, test weight, and stover yield. High LAI has been observed in both 60 and 90 DAS has been observed in the “on farm priming” where hydro priming has been followed and potassium nitrate primed seeds over non-primed seeds. The increase in root nodule count with seed priming might have been owing to an increase in root development and thus provided better conditions for nitrogen-fixing bacteria. However, the poor harvest index value could be due to relatively closer plants resulting in increased competition for light, space, and nutrients which enhanced plant height and increased shoot dry matter hence decreasing the harvest index.

Devaraj, Aishwarya V., Pintoo Bandopadhyay and Tilak K. (2023). Optimization of Seed Rate and Priming Methods on Growth and Yield of Field Pea grown under Rice Fallow System of Lower Gangetic Plains. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(12): 348-352.