Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivation is gaining popularity in Terai to Hills of Nepal. The poor plant establishment and yield due to the results of unsuitable sowing time and row spacing are the main reasons for lower productivity of it. Therefore, the date of sowing and row spacing trials were conducted in two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018 at the Grain Legumes Research Program, Khajura, Banke. A widespread and registered variety of rajma PDR 14 was used in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four sowing dates (a) 11th October, (b) 26th October, (c) 10th November and (d) 25th November as the main-factor, and three rows spacing (a) 30 cm, (b) 40 cm and (c) 50 cm as the sub-factor, consisted of three replications. The effect of the date of sowing on all the yield and yield attributing characters was found significant at a one percent significance level. Similarly, row spacing has resulted in a significant difference in grain yield. Rajma sown on 26th October (Kartik 9) produced 12, 38 and 64% higher grain yield than sown on 11th October, 10th November and 25th November, respectively. Moreover, rajma seeds sown on 26th October with 30 cm × 10 cm plant geometry produced the highest grain yield (2185 kg/ha). The narrow row spacing seemed well than the wider row in rajma production. There is a great potential to increase the production and productivity of rajma through an appropriate time of sowing and row spacing.

Aims: An unsuitable sowing time and selection of inappropriate variety were the main yield limiting factors in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) cultivation. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to study the effect of sowing dates on growth and yield of pigeonpea varieties. Study Design: The experiment was laid out in spit plot design. Place and Duration of Study: This experiment was conducted at the Grain Legumes Research Program (GLRP), Khajura, Banke, Nepal in two consecutive years, 2020/21 and 2021/22. Methodology: The experiment consisted five sowing dates treatments viz., 2nd July, 17th July, 1st August, 16th August and 31st August as the main-factor and two promising varieties viz., ICPL-88039 and MA-6 as the sub-factor, with three replications. Results: Both the sowing time and variety significantly influenced all the tested growth and yield parameters of pigeonpea at one percent significance level. Early sowing (2nd July) recorded longer days to flowering and maturity and taller plants that affected the yield. Pigeonpea produced the highest (P ≤ 0.01) seed yield (1482 kg/ha), while seeded on 2nd July. Moreover, the pigeonpea sown on 2nd to 17th  July produced 36% more seed yield than sown on 1st to 31st August. Similarly, a promising variety of pigeonpea MA-6 (1028 kg/ha) produced significantly higher (P ≤ 0.01) seed yield compared to the variety ICPL-88039 (888 kg/ha). Conclusion: The study identified the 2nd July as the most appropriate time of sowing and the MA-6 as a high yielding variety of pigeonpea for the study area in Mid-Western Terai Region of Nepal.

The low productivity of lentil due to adaptation of poor crop management practices is the main problem of the lentil production in western terai region of Nepal. With an objective of selecting appropriate variety, sowing time, sowing method, seeding rate, priming techniques and weed management practice for lentil cultivation four different experiments were conducted at Grain Legumes Research Program, Khajura, Banke in two winter seasons of 2017/18 and 2018/19.  The experiment on sowing time was conducted in split-plot design including four lentil varieties and four sowing dates, while the seeding rate experiment was laid out in split-split-plot design with the treatments of two varieties, two sowing methods and four seed rates. Similarly, seed priming and weed management trails were conducted in RCBD with ten treatments. All the experiments were replicated three times. The highest seed yield of lentil was recorded from the early maturing lentil varieties, i.e. PL 4 (934  kg ha–1) and ILL 7979 (864 kg ha–1). Similarly, lentil sowing on October (940 kg ha–1) produced the higher seed yield than sowing on November (682  kg ha–1). Likewise, the highest seed yield of lentil was recorded from the use of seeding rate 60 kg ha–1 (890 kg ha–1), but it was statistically at par with the seeding rates of 40 kg ha–1 (865 kg ha–1) and 50 kg ha–1 (855 kg ha–1). Differently, the seed yield of lentil didn’t differ significantly under line (856 kg ha–1) and broadcasting (847 kg ha–1) methods of sowing. The seed priming with a 250 ppm solution of sodium molybdate (Na2MoO4) produced significantly the highest seed yield (961 kg ha–1) in lentil. Similarly, the highest and statistically similar seed yield of lentil was recorded with the weed management practice of two hand weeding (924 kg ha–1) and the use of Pendimethalin (898 kg ha–1) and Pendimethalin-Quizolofop-ethyl (857 kg ha–1) as a pre-emergence. Thus, the adaptation of appropriate variety, planting time, seeding rate, seed priming technique, sowing method and weed management practices are the major factors of production for getting higher yield of lentil.