File 2518 (4).qxd Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 41(1-2), 33-40, 2006 Introduction Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) is relatively proved a good oil seed crop in Bangladesh. It is a potential source of high quality edible oil, ranges second next to soybean as an oil crop in the world (FAO).1 Due to the increasing edible use of this oil crop, its production has been enhanced rapidly all over the world. Sunflower's seed contains 48 % - 52 % of good quality edible oil and 40 % - 50 % of protein in meals. The oil cake from sunflower is also useful for cow and fish feeding. At present, sunflower is grown in many district of Bangladesh without proper care. The average production of sunflower per unit area in our country is comparatively poor.2 The total cultivation area of this particular oil crop is limited. The progress in sunflower production is slow due to the lack of proper production technologies and management practices. Among the several agro-techniques which can enhance the production of yield are the use of proper land preparation, irriga- tion, fertilizer application, proper plant spac- ing and other related factors are important. Robinson et al., Reddy et al. and Villalobos et al. assessed that better seed yield of sun- flower was greatly influenced by proper plant spacing.3-5 According to Kharga et al., Sharma et al. and Vivck et al., nitrogen fer- tilizer has a positive effect on sunflower yield.6-8 Several authors observed that the application of nitrogen fertilizer in conjuga- tion with phosphorus fertilizer resulted in increased seed yield of sunflower.9-11 (Chariara et al., Singh et al. and Ujjinaiah et al.). The information regarding the effect of Response of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer and Plant Spacing on Growth and Yield Contributing Character of Sunflower A. A. Jahangir, R. K. Mondal, Katrun Nada, R. Sadia Afroze and M. A. Hakim BCSIR Laboratories, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205. Bangladesh Abstract The plant spacing of 20, 25 and 30 cm were used for the study. The doses of nitrogen and phosphorus were 80, 100, 120 and 45, 60, 75 kg/hectare respectively. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three replications. 20 cm plant spacing produced the highest plot yield. Maximum number of seeds per head and yield were produced by the application of 120 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 per hectare. In case of plant spacing x fertilizer interaction effect, 20 cm plant spacing with 120 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 per hectare treatment produced the highest head diameter and seed yield. plant spacing and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer on sunflower is mearge in our local climate condition. So, an attempt has been made to study the effect of plant spacing and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer for getting maximum yield of sunflower. Materials and Methods The investigation was made in the experi- mental field of BCSIR (Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Dhaka, during the winter season of 2002-2003. The soil of the experimental field was sandy clay loam having pH 5.8, 1.5 % organic matter and 0.04 % total nitrogen. The pH of moist soil was determined by using a corning glass electrode pH meter (model-7).12 Organic matter content was calculated by multiplying the rules of organic carbon with conventional factor 1.74.13 The total nitrogen were determine Microkjeldahl method as described by Jakson.12 The unit plot size was 3m x 3m. The variety used for the study was Kironi. The experiment was carried out in a random- ized block design with three replications. The row spacing was 30 m. The plant spacing of 20, 25 and 30 cm were used for study. The nitrogen fertilizer doses under study were 80 kg N/ha (N1), 100 kg N/ha (N2), 120 kg N/ha (N3) and that of phosphorus 45 kg P2O5/ha (P1), 60 kg P2O5/ha (P2), 75 kg P2O5/ha (P3). The sources of nitrogen and phosphorus were urea and triple super phos- phate respectively. At the time of land prepa- ration, nitrogen and phosphorus were applied in the soil and nitrogen was applied to the field in two equal installments. All the inter- cultural operation were done in proper time. At the harvest time, 10 plants were selected at random from each plot to collect data on plant height and different yield contributing characters. Yield was recorded from the plot. The collected data was statistically analyzed and mean values were adjudged by Ducan's New Multiple Range Test (Steel and Torrie).14 Results and Discussion The data on the effect plant spacing and nitrogen - phosphorus fertilizer and their interaction have been presented in the Table I, II and III, respectively. 34 Response of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 41(1-2) 2006 Plant spacing (cm) Plant height (cm) Table I. Effect of plant spacing on the yield contributing character of sunflower. * Means with the same letter are not different from one another at 5 % level of significance. 20 50.1c* 13.4 a 303.4 a 5.31 a 1.96 a 25 57.8 b 12.5 ab 290.3 b 5.34 a 1.68 b 30 60.8 a 12.0 b 289.4 b 5.33 a 1.56 b Head diameter (cm) Number of seed per head 100 seed weight (g) Seed yield (t / ha) Plant Spacing Effect The plant height of sunflower increased progressively with the increase of plant spac- ing. The widest plant spacing produced the highest plant height (60.8 cm) among other spacing. It was significantly different from other treatments. The results were in agree- ment with the result of Bindra and Kharwara who found increased plant height with increase of spacing.15 They observed the same spacing of 30 cm in the case of plant height of sunflower. The lowest highest (50.1 cm) plant was obtained from 20 cm plant spacing treatment. The plant grown with closer spacing produced maximum head diameter and the highest number of seeds than of those other spacing. The variation in plant spacing caused a significant difference in sunflower seed yield. The highest seed yield of 1.96 t/ha was recorded from 20 cm plant spacing. The highest and lowest yield were 1.96 t/ha and 1.65 t/ha respectively. The positive effect of closer plant spacing on seed yield as obtained in the present study agreed well to the findings of Islam et al. and Zaffaroni et al. where they found highest yield at closer plant spacing.16-17 Rao et al. also reported the reduction in sunflower yield under higher plant density.18 The other two plant spacing treatment produced near about the same seed yield without any significant change. Nitrogen - Phosphorous Fertilizer Effect In fertilizer treatment the maximum plant height (62.1 cm.) was obtained by N3P2. The second highest plant height was resulted from N3P3 treatment. This was closely Jahangir, Monodal, Nada, Afroze and Hakim 35 Nitrogen- Phos- phorus fertilizer Plant height (cm) Table II. Effect of nitrogen_phosphorus fertilizer on the yield contributing charcter of sunflower. * Means with the same letter are not different from one another at 5 % level of significance. Control 49.6 e* 9.7 a 261.3 e 5.01 c 1.78 b N1P1 51.2 d 10.2 a 280.3 cd 5.39 abc 1.80 b N1P2 53.3 cd 10.3 a 271.6 de 5.38 abc 1.81 ab N1P3 58.5 ab 10.1 a 273.2 de 5.39 abc 1.82 ab N2P1 59.0 ab 12.4 ab 280.4 cd 5.60 ab 1.83 ab N2P2 58.2 ab 11.4 b 285.8 c 5.36 abc 1.97 ab N2P3 59.0 ab 12.4 ab 313.2 b 5.60 ab 1.86 ab N3P1 59.1 ab 12.7 a 314.8 b 5.61 ab 1.97 ab N3P2 62.1 a 13.3 a 337.5 a 5.73 a 2.01 ab N3P3 61.7 ab 13.2 a 339.8 a 5.73 a 2.08 a Head diameter (cm) Number of seed per head 100 seed weight (g) Seed yield (t / ha) 36 Response of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 41(1-2) 2006 Plant spacing x N-P fertilizer treatment 20 cm 25 cm 30 cm Table III. Interaction effect of plant spacing and fertilizer on the yield of sunflower. * Means with the same letter are not different from one another at 5 % level of significance. Control 53.3 c* 11.8 c 265.2 e 4.99 f 1.91 c N1 P1 54.5 bc 13.4 ab 329.1 ab 5.58 b 2.16 bc N1 P2 54.5 bc 13.5 b 339.1 a 5.78 b 2.16 bc N1 P3 54.3 bc 13.5 b 328.1 ab 5.67 b 2.38 ab N2 P1 54.4 bc 14.2 ab 317.7 b 5.67 b 2.32 ab N2 P2 60.7 abc 13.7 ab 329.6 ab 5.68 b 2.40 ab N2 P3 59.9 abc 14.3 ab 317.8 b 5.74 ab 2.30 ab N3 P1 60.2 abc 14.4 a 340.1 a 5.66 b 2.41 ab N3 P2 62.1 ab 14.4 a 340.9 a 5.67 b 2.50 a N3 P3 59.9 abc 14.5 a 329.4 ab 5.63 b 2.55 a N1 P1 60.1 abc 13.4 b 318.2 b 5.58 b 2.32 ab N1 P2 59.8 abc 13.5 b 318.1 b 5.57 b 2.30 ab N1 P3 54.4 bc 13.7 ab 317.9 b 5.63 b 2.17 bc N2 P1 59.9 abc 13.7 ab 328.0 ab 5.69 b 2.16 bc N2 P2 62.0 ab 13.5 b 329.5 ab 5.67 b 2.39 ab N2 P3 61.9 ab 13.8 ab 317.5 b 5.68 b 2.18 ab N3 P1 62.0 ab 13.7 ab 317.6 b 5.78 a 2.32 ab N3 P2 62.1 ab 14.2 ab 314.8 b 5.80 a 2.32 ab N3 P3 62.2 ab 14.2 ab 317.3 b 5.59 b 2.37 ab N1 P1 61.9 ab 11.8 c 281.1 cd 5.22 de 1.95 c N1 P2 62.2 ab 11.9 c 279.9 cd 5.07 ef 1.97 c N1 P3 60.1 abc 12.2 bc 279.9 cd 5.59 b 2.19 bc N2 P1 63.5 a 12.1 bc 277.4 cd 5.58 b 2.18 bc N2 P2 62.1 ab 13.3 b 271.7 de 5.67 b 2.15 bc N2 P3 59.9 abc 13.4 b 28.2 c 5.58 b 2.17 bc N3 P1 60.4 abc 13.3 b 287.1 c 5.39 cd 2.17 bc N3 P2 60.5 abc 13.7 ab 288.4 c 5.38 cd 2.15 bc N3 P3 60.0 abc 13.5 b 285.2 c 5.59 b 2.16 bc Plant height (cm) Head diameter (cm) Number of seeds per head 100 seed weight (g) Seed yield (t/ha) followed by N3P1. The minimum plant height was obtained from control treatment. The value was significantly lower than other treatments. The maximum head diameter was obtained from the plot receiving fertilizer at N3P2 treatment. The maximum number of seeds (339.8) per head was found with the application of N - P fertilizer at the rate of N120P75 kg/ha. The results were in close conformity with those of Nayak et al. who observed that the number of seeds per head in sunflower was increased progressively due to higher doses of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer application.19 100 seed weight of sunflower was found to vary from 5.01 - 5.73 g. The plot which received fertilizer at the rate 120 Jahangir, Monodal, Nada, Afroze and Hakim 37 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 per hectare produced the highest seed yield of 2.08 t/ha. The results are in close agreement with the findings of Tomar et al. but disagreed with Tripathi et al. who found maximum seed yield of sunflower with lower dose of nitrogen (40 kg/ha) with conjugation of phosphorus.20-21 Interaction Effect In the interaction effect of the fertilizer and plant spacing, the highest plant was produced from the plot which was fertilized at the rate of N2P2 per hectare with plant spacing of 30 cm. The second highest plant height was obtained from N2P2 and N3P3 treatments space at 30 and 25 cm plant spacing respec- tively. The value of head diameter per plant ranged from 11.8 - 14.5 cm. The highest number of head diameter produced from N3P3 treatment with plant spacing of 20 cm. The variation in the number of seeds varied 38 Response of Nitrogen and Phosphorus 41(1-2) 2006 Jahangir, Monodal, Nada, Afroze and Hakim 39 from 340.9 - 265.2. Maximum number of seed (340.9) per head was obtained in combi- nation with N3P2 treatment with 20 cm plant spacing. The findings were in close conform- ity with the result of Kene et al. who obtained the maximum number of seeds higher rate of N-P application with closer plant spacing.22 The next number of seeds per head of the sunflower plant was obtained by N3P1 and N1P3 treatment with mean number of 340.1 and 339.1, respectively with same plant spacing. The maximum plot yield of seed was produced from the plot receiving fertilizer at the rate of 120 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 per hectare. The superiority of closer plant spacing with increasing nitrogen-phosphorus application in sunflower yield has been reported by Hedge et al. and Sharma et al.23-24 The next higher seed yield was obtained from N3P2 treatment. Conclusion The findings of the study indicate that the plant spacing and nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer application treatment improved the yield contributing character efficiency of sunflower leading to higher seed yield. 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