Influence of Date of Transplanting on Growth and Yield Attributes and Resultant Seed Quality of Davana

doi:10.4236/ajps.2013.49210

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American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2013, 4, 1721-1724

http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2013.49210 Published Online September 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ajps)

Influence of Date of Transplanting on Growth and Yield

Attributes and Resultant Seed Quality of Davana

M. Jayanthi1*, A. Vijayakumar1, K. Vananagamudi1, K. Rajamani2

1Department of Seed Science and Technology, TamilNadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India; 2Department of Medicinal and

Aromatic Crops, TamilNadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.

Email: *[email protected]

Received June 1st, 2013; revised July 1st, 2013; accepted July 20th, 2013

which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted at TamilNadu agricultural university, Coimbatore during rabi 2011 to study the effect

of time transplanting on growth, yield attributes and resultant seed quality of davana. The experiment was laid out with

five different dates of transplanting viz., October 15th, November 1st, November 15th, December 1st and December 15th

with the spacing of 15 × 7.5 cm and 125:125:75 NPK kg/ha were adopted in a randomized block design with four rep-

lications. The results revealed that the seedlings transplanted at 15th November recorded the maximum number of

branches/plant, seed yield/plant, seed yield/plot, resultant seed germination and vigour index.

Keywords: Date of Transplanting; Davana; Seed Yield and Seed Quality

1. Introduction

Aromatic plants are the natural source of perfumes and

fragrance widely exploited by essential oil industries

across the world. India stands 3rd in essential oil produc-

tion in the world. Davana (Artemisia pallens wall. ex.

D.C.) is an important highly valued annual aromatic herb

of India belonging to the family Asteraceae and com-

mercially cultivated in south India as a short duration

crop from November to march. India has a monopoly in

production and export trade of davana oil. Davana is tra-

ditionally used in religious ceremonies and in making

garlands, bouquets, floral decorations and floral chaplets,

lending an element of freshness and a rich sumptuous-

ness of fragrance to religious occasions [1] (Narayana et

al., 1998). Davana is being propagated through seeds.

The productivity of any crop is the ultimate results of its

growth and development. Time of transplanting is one of

the major factors for getting maximum seed yield and

quality. Artemesia pallens possesses anti-inflammatory,

antipyretic and analgesic properties. It is used in Indian

folk medicine for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus [2]

(Al-Harbi et al., 1994). Hence, an attempt was made to

study the effect of date of transplanting on the growth

and yield attributes and resultant seed quality.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Experimental Conditions

Field experiments were conducted during rabi 2011 at

TamilNadu Agricultural University Coimbatore to study

the effect of different dates of transplanting on the

growth and yield attributes and resultant seed quality of

davana. The experiment was laid out in Randomized

block design with four replications. Five different dates

of transplanting viz., October 15th (DS1), November 1st

(DS2), November 15th (DS3), December 1st (DS4) and

December 15th (DS5) with the spacing of 15 × 7.5 cm

and 125:125:75 NPK kg/ha accommodating 90 plants/

plot. The seeds of davana (Artemesia pallens) obtained

from Horticultural college and Research Institute, Peri-

yakulam was chosen for the study. Growth attributes

such as plant height (cm), fresh weight of the seedling

(g/plant), dry matter production, chlorophyll content of

the seedling—estimated through the chlorophyllmeter at

vegetative, flowering and maturity stages using SPAD

meter., days to first flower, days to 50% flowering, num-

ber of branches/plant. Yield attributes viz., number of

flower heads/plant, seed yield/plant, seed yield/plot, 1000

seed weight, herbage yield/plot. Resultant seed quality

such as germination (%) [3] (ISTA, 1999), seedling

length (cm) the distance between the tip of the primary

leaf to the tip of the primary root, vigour index [4] (Ab-

*Corresponding author.

Influence of Date of Transplanting on Growth and Yield Attributes and Resultant Seed Quality of Davana

1722

dul Baki and Anderson, 1873). Vigour index (VI) was

computed using the following formula and expressed as

whole number. VI = Germination percentage × Seedling

length (cm) and Dry matter production (g·seedlings−10)

dried in a hot air oven maintained at 85˚C for 48 h and

cooled in a dessicator for 30 min and weighed in an elec-

tronic digital balance. Weather data given as Annexure

2.2. Statistical Analysis

The data obtained from experiments were analyzed by

the ‘F’ test for significance following the method Facto-

rial Randomized Block Design as described by [5] Panse

and Sukhatme. 1985. Wherever necessary, the percent

values were transformed to angular (Arc-sine) values be-

fore analysis. The critical differences (CD) were calcu-

lated at 5 per cent probability level. The data were tested

for statistical significance.

3. Results and Discussion

The results of Table 1 were followed. The seedling

transplanted on November 15th (DS 3) recorded signifi-

cantly higher plant height, fresh weight of the seedling,

dry matter production of the seedling and chlorophyll

content. Days to first flowering, days to fifty percent

flowering attained earlier in the seedlings transplanted by

November 15th, number of branches/plant (26), number

of flower heads/plant (110), seed yield/plant (9.01 g),

seed yield/plot (112.6 g), 1000 seed weight (162.81 mg),

herbage yield/plot (1268.11 g) was also observed higher

with the seedlings transplanted during November 15th.

Resultant seed quality such as germination%, seedling

length, Dry matter production and vigour index was also

higher in November 15th seedlings which was followed

by the seedlings transplanted by December 1st.

Appropriate and proper time of sowing is one of the

basic requirements for obtaining maximum yield and

high return of any crop. As emphasized by [6] Snoek

(1981), the total yield of the crop is markedly influenced

by different sowing and transplanting times. In seed

production, [7] Wood et al. (1980) opined that the envi-

ronmental conditions particularly the light and tempera-

ture [8] (Crocker and Barton, 1955) interact with genetic

system and elicit developmental changes during ripening,

which exert influence on yield and seed quality. Highest

seed yield obtained from a plant height of 58.46 cm. This

was likely due to the plant height of the plots being op-

timum. From the observation in field plots, it could be

noted that the plant could be grown in optimum condition.

These contributed to more branching and flowering sub-

sequent to seed setting and eventually resulted in high

seed yield. The results of Table 2 were followed. Seed-

lings planted on November 15th came to early first flow-

ering and also 50% flowering, number of branches, num-

ber of flower heads/plant contributing towards increasing

seed yield. Similarly, maximum 1000 seed weight (162.8

mg) was recorded from the plots planted on November

15th. The results of Table 3 were followed. Highest seed

yield per plant (9.01 g), seed yield/plot (112.66 g) and

herbage yield per plot (1268.11 g) was obtained with the

seedlings planted on November 15th and each successive

delay in transplanting resulted into corresponding de-

crease in seed yield. Similar results were observed under

different set of climatic conditions as influenced by time

of planting in radish by [9] Gill and Gill (1995) and [10]

Warde et al. (2004).

The seed quality characters were significantly influ-

ence by time of planting.

The physiological potential of the seed in terms of ger-

mination (64%), seedling length (2.62 cm ) and vigour

index (168) were higher with the seeds produced in 15th

Table 1. Influence of time of transplanting on growth attributes at different growth periods.

Plant height (cm)at different

growth periods

Fresh weight of the seedling

(g·plant−1)at different growth periods

Dry matter production of the seedling

(g·plant−1) at different growth periods

Treatments

Vegetative Flowering Maturity MeanVegetativeFloweringMaturityMeanVegetative Flowering MaturityMean

DS1 29.4 53.37 49.55

44.10 7.45 15.36 11.77 11.533.69 10.04 8.66 7.46

DS2 29.9 54.17 54.84

46.31 7.86 18.22 13.95 13.344.90 10.80 9.74 8.48

DS3 32.9 56.21 58.16

49.09 8.16 18.40 16.62 14.395.02 12.03 9.80 8.95

DS4 29.9 50.15 53.73

44.59 7.41 13.54 12.44 11.133.89 8.96 8.45 7.10

DS5 26.4 48.14 47.74

40.77 7.14 11.97 10.48 9.863.63 7.75 7.45 6.28

Mean 29.70 52.41 52.80 7.60 15.49 13.05

4.23 9.92 8.82

SEd 0.35 0.96 0.51 0.06 0.84 0.29 0.10 0.49 0.12

CD (P = 0.05) 0.78 2.10 1.12 0.13 1.84 0.63 0.22 1.07 0.26

Influence of Date of Transplanting on Growth and Yield Attributes and Resultant Seed Quality of Davana 1723

Table 2. Influence of time of transplanting on chlorophyll content and yield attributes.

Chlorophyll content (SPAD value)

Treatments Vegetative

stage

Flowering

stage

Maturity

stage Mean

Days to first

flowering

Days to 50%

flowering

Number

of branches

Number of flower

heads plant−1

DS1 10.6 13.2 10.8

11.6 48 55 21 103

DS2 12.6 13.2 12.7

12.9 45 52 22 108

DS3 14.5 14.1 13.7

14.1 44 52 26 110

DS4 11.6 12.4 12.7

12.3 47 54 22 105

DS5 10.6 11.2 11.7

11.2 49 57 20 90

Mean 12.0 12.8 12.3

47 54

22 103

SEd 0.260 0.324 0.138 0.2371 0.6671 0.3845 2.0387

CD (P=0.05) 0.567 0.707 0.302 0.5167 1.4535 0.8378 4.4421

Table 3. Influence of time of transplanting on seed yield and resultant seed quality characters.

Treatments Seed Yield

plant−1 (g)

Seed yield

plot−1 (g)

1000 seed

weight (mg)

Herbage yield

plot−1 (g)

Germination

(%)

Seedling length

(cm)

Dry matter production

(mg·seedlings−10)

Vigour

index

DS1 5.57 69.54 151.76 898.05 58(49.60) 2.23 1.20 129

DS2 7.68 95.93 154.77 1064.39 60(50.76) 2.31 1.22 139

DS3 9.01 112.66 162.81 1268.11 64(53.13) 2.62 1.23 168

DS4 7.74 96.77 156.78 949.17 62(51.94) 2.45 1.21 152

DS5 6.33 79.08 158.79 799.62 61(51.35) 2.38 1.20 145

Mean 7.266 90.796 156.982 995.8676 61(51.35) 2.40 1.21 146.54

SEd 0.2093 5.0241 1.2476 53.7202 0.6687 0.0188 0.0047 2.2503

CD (P = 0.05) 0.4561 10.9467 2.7184 117.0474 1.4570 0.0410 0.0101 4.9031

Figures in parenthesis indicate arc sine values.

November month. [11] Castillo et al. (1994) and [12]

Greven et al. (1997) stated that the environment during

seed development is the major determinant of seed qual-

ity, particularly seed vigour. It is concluded that 15th

November planting recorded the maximum seed yield

and quality characters. Hence for seed production 15th

November could be recommended for davana.

4. Conclusion

From the present investigation, it could be concluded that

the seedlings planted on 15th November recorded the

maximum seed yield and quality characters such as

higher germination percentage, seedling length, drymat-

ter production and vigour index. Hence for seed produc-

tion 15th November could be recommended for davana.

REFERENCES

[1] M. R. Narayana, M. N. A. Khan and B. P. Dimri, “Da-

vana and Its Cultivation in India,” Farm Bulletin, No. 12,

CIMAP, Lucknow, 1998, pp. 1-10.

[2] M. M. Al-Harbi, S. Qureshi, M. M. Ahmed, G. A. Riza

and A. H. Shah, “Studies on the Anti-Inflammatory An-

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Japanese Journal of Pharmcology, Vol. 64, No. 3, 1994,

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[3] ISTA, “International Rules of Seed. Testing (Supplement

rules),” Seed Science and Technology, Vol. 27, 1999, pp.

25-30.

[4] A. A. Abdul-Baki and J. D. Anderson, “Vigor Determina-

tion in Soybean Seed by Multiple Criteria,” Crop Science,

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doi:10.2135/cropsci1973.0011183X001300060013x

[5] V. G. Panse and P. V. Sukhatme, “Statistical Methods for

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[6] N. Snoek, “How Close Should Broccoli Be Planted,”

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[7] D. W. Wood, R. K. Scott and P. C. Longdon, “The Effect

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[8] W. Crocker and L. V. Barton, “Effect of the Conditions of

Influence of Date of Transplanting on Growth and Yield Attributes and Resultant Seed Quality of Davana

1724

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[9] S. S. Gill and B. S. Gill, “Influence of Time of Trans-

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[10] A. D. Warde, V. S. Gonge, L. V. Kulwal and J. Giri, “Ef-

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Annexure

Annexure 1. Weather data from Aug 2011-Mar 2012.

Month Maximum

temperature ˚C

Minimum

temperature ˚C

Relative

humidity 1

Relative

humidity 2Rainfall (mm) Sun shine

(hours)

Rainy

days

Evaporation

(mm)

AUG-11 31.3 22.8 87.2 56.4 0.2 4.6 1 4.9

SEP 31.2 23.0 90.9 60.4 1.6 7.4 4 5.6

OCT 22.6 20.1 90.6 59.3 7.4 6.5 14 4.3

NOV 28.7 20.8 89.7 61.0 8.1 5.4 11 3.2

DEC 29.3 19.1 89.2 52.0 0.4 6.4 1 3.3

TOTAL 143.1 105.8 447.6 289.1 17.7 30.3 31.0 21.3

AVERAGE 28.6 21.2 89.5 57.8 3.5 6.1 6.2 4.3

JAN-12 29.6 19.1 88.9 48.1 68.9 8.1 0 3.4

FEB 30.9 20.9 85 36 0 8.8 0 5.1

MAR 35.6 20.9 80 30 0 9.3 0 6.5