INFLUENCE OF SOWING DEPTH AND SEED SIZE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MUNGBEAN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka, during the period from March 2007 to June 2007 to lind out the influence of varying seed size and sowing depth on growth and yield of mungbean. The experiment was consisted of three sowing depths (2, 4 and 6 cm) and three seed sizes: small (C 3.2 mm), medium (3.2 mm to 4 mm) and large (> 4 mm). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications having depth in the main plots and seed size in the sub-plots. Results revealed that the smallest seeds had significantly the highest germination percentage, vigour index and emergence. I .arge seeds showed significantly the highest epicotyle and hypocotyle length, fresh weight of root, shoot and total plant, pod length. 1000 grain weight and seed yield. Sowing depth also had significant ellects. The percentage of emergence was significantly highest at 2 cm depth. Uowever, significantly the highest hypocotyle length, root, shoot and total fresh weight were in maximum depth. Significantly the highest number of pods plant", number of seeds pod', pod length. 1000 grain weight, seed yield ha1 and harvest index were observed in medium depth. Among the interaction treatments, the highest hypocotyle length, fresh weight of root, shoot and total plant of the seedlings were found in maximum depth with large seeds. Moreover, in the field experiment, medium depth with large seeds showed significantly the highest values of plant height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, inflorescence dry weight and total dry weight. Significantly higher NAR was obtained from medium depth with medium seeds at 30 days after sowing (DAS), but from minimum depth with small seeds at 45 DAS. The treatment medium depth with large seeds showed significantly the highest plant height, number of pods plant*', number of seeds pod ', pod length, 1000 seed weight, seed yield and harvest index.