International Journal of Plant & Soil Science

Indian mustard is an important oilseed crop cultivated widely under diverse agro-climatic conditions in India. Among various agronomic practices, optimum sowing time and appropriate row spacing play a crucial role in improving growth, yield attributes and productivity of mustard under semi-arid environments. The present investigation was carried out during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the experimental farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Mahendergarh under CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of different sowing times and row spacings on yield attributes and yield of Indian mustard. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with four sowing times (25 September, 5 October, 15 October and 25 October) assigned to main plots and three row spacings (30 cm, 45 cm and 60 cm) to sub-plots. The mustard variety RH-1424 was used for the study. Data were recorded and statistically analyzed for yield attributes viz., primary branches per plant, secondary branches per plant, siliquae per plant, siliqua length, seeds per siliqua and yield parameters including seed yield, stover yield, biological yield and harvest index. The results revealed that sowing on 15 October significantly improved the yield attributes and yield of mustard. This treatment recorded the highest number of primary branches per plant (6.7), secondary branches per plant (16.7), siliquae per plant (314.6), siliqua length (7.26 cm) and seeds per siliqua (16.5). The same treatment also produced the maximum seed yield (2172 kg ha⁻¹), stover yield (6412 kg ha⁻¹), biological yield (8584 kg ha⁻¹) and harvest index (25.3%). Among different row spacings, 45 cm spacing proved superior by recording higher values of yield attributes including primary branches per plant (6.1), secondary branches per plant (15.3), siliquae per plant (289.4), siliqua length (6.69 cm) and seeds per siliqua (16.2). The 45 cm row spacing also resulted in the highest seed yield (2012 kg ha⁻¹), stover yield (6003 kg ha⁻¹), biological yield (8015 kg ha⁻¹) and harvest index (25.1%). Based on the findings of the study, it may be concluded that sowing mustard around 15 October with 45 cm row spacing was the most suitable combination for obtaining higher yield and better yield attributes under the semi-arid conditions of Mahendergarh, Haryana.