Growth and yield of safflower as influenced by inm under irrigation and rainfed planting

A field experiment on “Growth and yield of safflower as influenced by INM under irrigation and rainfed planting” was conducted during rabi, 2013 at College Farm, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with two main treatments viz., M1: irrigation at rosette, branching and flowering, M2 : rainfed planting; and seven sub treatments viz., S1 : Control (no fertilizers), S2: RDF, S3: soil test based fertilizers, S4: RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha-1, S5 : soil test based fertilizers + FYM @ 5 t ha-1, S6: RDF + vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1 and S7: Soil test based fertilizers + vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1 and replicated thrice. With respect to irrigations at critical stages gives higher plant height, number of branches per plant, leaf area index, dry matter production per plant (g) and seed yield were recorded with irrigation treatment and it was significantly higher than rainfed planting. With respect to organics and soil test based inorganic fertilizers gives higher plant height, number of branches per plant, leaf area index, dry matter production per plant (g) and seed yield were recorded with S7 (soil test based fertilizers + vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1) and it was significantly superior to S6 (RDF + vermicompost @ t ha-1) followed by S5 (soil test based fertilizers + FYM @ 5 t ha-1), S4 (RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha-1), S3 (soil test based fertilizers), S2 (RDF) and S1 (control) treatment. Interaction effect of plant height, number of branches per plant, leaf area index, dry matter production per plant (g) and seed yield of safflower crop as influenced by main and sub treatments were found to be non-significant.