(37 000 plantsiha). '.jScientist (Senior Scale), 2Scientist (Senior Scale), Centre for. CD (P= 0.05) 8.63 1.13. 1.74 0.055 NS 0.48. Makhana, Darbhanga 840 008.
~f'Agri~zilt~~ra1 Sciences 75 (7): 445-6, July 2005
iiii./icil~JOIII-IIN[
Effect of plant population on seed yield of senna (Cassia a~nglsstifolia)* DNESH KUMAR1,B K JHA2and 0 P AISHWATH3 Natiorlul Research Cetztrefor Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Boriavi, Anand, Gujarat 387 310 Received : 2 1 July 2004
Key words: Senna, Cassia angzutfolia, Plant population, Seed production, Growth, Yield
Senna (Cassia angustlfolia Vahl.) is native to Yemen and kladramount province of Saudi Arabia. India is one of the traditional growers and major exporters of its, leaves, pods and sennoside concentrate to western Europe and Russia for use in pharmaceutical industries. The principal constituents having laxative property are sennosides (anthraquinone glycosides) found in leaves and pod shell (Pareek et al. 1989). However, its leaves having international demand are preferred as ingredient of herbal tea in Europe. Its cultivation is mainly confined to over marginal lands in semi-arid tropics of Tamil Nadu. However, Pareek and Gupta (1984) reported possibilities of its commercial cultivation in summer monsoon season in the north-westem plains of India. Being a hardy crop it can withstand water stress but is sensitive to waterlogging. Its yield potential could be exploited by using proper cultural practices. Among them plant population plays a vital role for quality seed production. It helps in canopy architecture, affecting light interception and assimilation which ultimately affect its productivity. Earlier more emphasis was given on production of leaves and pods by manipulation of spacing and nutrition in senna. The higher herbage yield in senna with close spacing (30 cm x 30 cm) had been reported by several workers (Nandi and Chaterjee 1981, Shalaby et al. 1989, Illangovan et al. 1989). Further, Pareek et al. (1 983) found highest herbage yield with 45 cm x 45 cm spacing. However, very meager information is available on plant population for seed production in senna. Hence an experiment was conducted to optimize plant population for quality seed production in senna under medium soil fertility of semi-arid ecoregion of Gujarat. The field experiment was conducted under irrigated condition during 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 at the research farm of NRC for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Boriavi, Anand, Gujarat (22.5ON and 73OE). Six spacing treatments, viz Tl,30cmx30cm(l11 000plants/ha);T2,45crnx 30cm(74 000 plantsiha); T,, 45 cm x 45 cm (49 000 plantsiha); T,, 60 cm x 60 cm (28 000 plantsiha); T,,60 cm x 30 cm (55 000 plantska); *Short note '.jScientist (Senior Scale), 2Scientist(Senior Scale), Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga 840 008
and T,,60 cm x 45 cm (37 000 plantsiha), were laid out in randomized block design with 4 replications under each net plot of 20 ~ n ?The . soil was sandy loam withpH 8.25, electrical conductivity 0.15 dSIm, organic C 0.25 44, available N 149.5 kgiha, P 11.88 kgiha and K 198.3 kgiha, respectively. Seed sowing was done in first week of July taking a test variety 'AEFT 2'. Treatment wise thinning was done after 20 days of sowing to maintain the required plant population. A uniform dose of 50 kg N, 40 kg P and 20 kg Wha was applied as basal dose at sowing and cultural practices were followed uniformly throughout the experimental periods. The pods were harvested in 3 pickings between mid March and first week ofApril and seed yieId was estimated. The experimental data of both the years were pooled and mean value are presented in Table I . Plant height was significantly influenced by plant population (Table 1). The maximum plant height (103.37 cm) was recorded with the closest spacing. Unlike plant height, branchesiplant was significantly improved with wider spacings as compared to closest spacing (30 cm x 30 cm). Enhanced branching with wider spacing has also been Table 1 Effect of plant population on the growth parameters, test weight, seed yield, pod length and podslraceme in senna Treatment
Plant Branches1 1 000- Seed Pod Pods1 height plant seed yield length raceme* (cm) weight (tonne/ (cm)* (g) ha)
30cm x 30 cm 103.37 (1 11 000 plantsiha) 45crnx 30 cm 93.65 (74 000 plantsiha) 45 crn x 45 cm 97.16 (19 000 plantsiha) 60 crn x 60 cm 87.74 (28 000 plantsiha) 60 crn x 30 cm 92.34 (55 000 plantsha) 60 cm x 45 cm 94.61 (37 000 plantsiha) CD (P=0.05) 8.63 *l year data
9.19
24.13 0.492 3.99
6.23
10.98
26.37 0.648 3.85
7.95
12.0
26.07 0.572 3.70
7.35
11.65
27.37 0.481 3.79
6.90
10.83
25.38 0.562 3.68
7.90
11.48
25.36 0.565 3.77
7.4
1.13
1.74
0.055
NS
0.48
KUMAR ET AL. reported by Rao et al. (2003) in henna (Lausonia inerniis L). This indicates that wider interspacing could provide more congenial environment for branching owing to improved sunlight interception by the plants. Plant population markedly influenced the yield parameters (Table 1). Wider planting at 60 cm x 60 cm (28 000 piantsha) found to be most suitable for production ofbold seeds (27.37 g/ l 000 seeds) owing to better geometric arrangement resulting in better absorption of moisture and nutrients and more photosyiitl~esisand consequently in better manifestation of yield attributes. Similar observation was also made by Sarkar and Banik (2002) in sesame (Sesanlum indicun~).Plant spacing of45 ctn x 30 cm or 60 cm x 30 cm helped production of more number of podsiraceme. However, plant population not at all influenced the pod length. The seed yield was significantly enhanced with a spacing of 45 cni x 30 cm (74 000 plantsiha) and was 3 1.70% higher compared to plant spacing of 30 cm x 30 crn. This was also noticcd that a plant density of 7.41 plants/m2 proved to be more congenial for optimum growth and development of individual plants. Thus, it could be interpreted that the spacing of 45 cm x 30 cm had utilized the soil nutrients, moisture, carbon dioxide and sunlight in most optimal ways than other spacing treatments. Consequently resulted into highest seed yield (0.65 tonneha) with better quality (bold seeds). Recently, increase in yield of sesame with moderate spacing (45 crn x 15 cm) has also been reported by Sarkar and Banik (2002). The plant population and seed yield (r = 0.91) were positively and highly (P < 0.01) correlated. The values of seed yield were regressed with plant population over the 2 years pooled data. The best fit was observed with quadratic function (y = -7. 1964x2+1 0 . 1 2 6 ~+ 2.5988, where y is seed yield and x is plant population) with the R2values of 0.80 for seed yield. Sankaranarayanan et al. (1992) noted that pod yicld in senna was significantly correlated with plant height, number of branches, length of racemes, number of pods1 raceme and length of pod. I t was concluded that for higher seed production, spacing of 45 cm x 30 ~ I T Iwith a plant population of 74 000 plantsiha could be followed under medium soil fertility of semi-arid eco-region of Gujarat. SUMMARY A field experiment was conducted on senna (Cassia
[IndianJournal ofAgvicultura1 Sciences 75 (7)
angustifolia Vahl.) during 1999-2000 and 2000-200 1 to study
the response of plant population on growth and seed yield. Six spacing treatments, viz 30 cin x 30 cm (1 11 000 plantsha), 45 cm x 30 cnx (74 000 plantsfha), 45 cm x 45 cm (49 000 plants/ ha), 60 cm x 60 cm (28 000 plantsha), 60 cm x 30 cm (55 000 plantsiha), and 60 cm x 45 cm (37 000 plantstha), were evaluated for seed production under medium soil fertility. The maximum plant height (103.37 cm) was recorded with closest spacing. Interestingly, the podsiraceme (7.95) and 1 000-seed weight (26.37 g) of seed were significantly higher with a plant population o f 7 4 000Iha over the control. However, significantly highest seed yield of 0.65 tonneha was recorded with a spacing of45 cm x 30 cm (74 000 plantsha). REFERENCES Illangovan R, Subbiah R and Natrajan S. 1989. Flowering and yield in senna (Cassia at~gustifoliaVahl) as influenced by spacing, nitrogen and phosphorus. South hdiatz Horticulture 37(2) : 103-7.
Nandi R P and Chaterjee S K. 1981. Senna cultivation in West Bengal. I. Effects of spacings and fertilizers. Indian Forester 17(2) : 1 1 1-4.
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Pareek S K , Srivastava V K and Gupta R. 1989. Effect of source and mode of nitrogen application on senna (Cassia ang~rstifolia Vahl). Tropical Agricr~ltzire(Trinidad) 66(1) : 69-2. Pareek S K and Gupta R. 1984. Exploratory studies on yield and comparative economics of medicinal plants based cropping systems in north western India. Annals ofAgricultura1 Researci'z 5(1-2) : 169-77.
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Sankaranarayanan R, Muthuswamy S and Khader M A. 1992. Variability studies in senna. Soutlz Indian Hor?ic~llture40(2) : 93-5.
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