Effect of Different Sowing Dates and Spacing on Soybean Varieties for Seed Quality during Rabi Season

Soybean, the number one oil seed crop in the world has recently occupied an important place in the edible oil and agricultural economy of the country. Lack of good quality seed is one of the major problems encountered in soybean production. Soybean as commercial crop is successful in kharif season as the agro-climatic conditions are found suitable. But climatic conditions may cause the adverse effect on seed production of different soybean varieties in kharif season. Hence, to fulfill the demand of quality soybean seed, efforts has been made to produce the soybean in rabi season.

The research trial on rabi season soybean seed production was conducted during 2021-22 at the Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The field experiment was laid out in split-split plot design having three replications. Total nine treatment combinations were there, consist of three sowing dates viz., 16 Dec, 31 Dec and 15 Jan in main plot and three spacing as 30 x 10 cm, 45 x 10 cm and 60 x 10 cm in sub plot and three varieties are AMS 100-39, RSC 10-46 and KDS-753 in sub-sub plot.

It can be revealed from the experimental results that graded seed yield (kg ha-1) and weight of graded 100 seed (g) were extensively greater in early sown crop of 16 Dec., variety RSC 10-46 and spacing 45 x 10 cm. Sowing date 16 Dec recorded minimum under size seed weight. In variety RSC 10-46 recorded minimum under size seed weight followed by variety AMS-100-39 (44.96 kg ha-1) and spacing of 45 x 10 cm. Treatment combination D1V2(sowing on 16 Dec. and variety RSC 10-46) recorded minimum under size seed yield. Significantly maximum weight of graded 100 seed was recorded by sowing date 16 Dec. (10.44 g) ,variety RSC 10-46 and spacing 45 x 10 cm.