Biomass Yield Enhancement of Dhaincha (Sesbania Species) Through Cultural Practices

Abstract

Three separate field experiments were conducted to exploit biomass yield potential of dhaincha (Sesbania species) by different cultural practices. A total of six accessions from three Sesbania species, viz. S. bispinosa (#05, 71, 77 and 109), S. cannabina (#28) and S. sesban (#81), were used as experimental materials. Experimental treatments were population densities, viz. 180, 240 and 300 plants m-2; sowing dates, viz. 30 April, 15 May, 30 May and 15 June, and fertilizer doses, viz. 0 (without N/control), 10, 20 and 30 kg N ha-1. All the experiments were designed following randomized complete block design with three replications. Experiments on population density and sowing dates were conducted in control condition (without any fertilizer application). The N-fertilizer was applied as top dress at 30 days after sowing (DAS) and crops were harvested at 60 DAS. The maximum biomass (10.07 t ha-1) was obtained from 240 plants m-2. At 30 April sowing, plants produced the tallest height (199.69 cm), widest base diameter (1.02 cm), highest fresh weight (62.07 t ha-1) and biomass yield (14.73 t ha-1). There were no significant differences in biomass yield and yield contributing descriptors between 20 and 30 kg N ha-1. Among the species, S. bispinosa was the best performer in terms of biomass yield and yield contributing descriptors. It may be concluded that S. bispinosa (accession #71) could be cultivated with the population density 240 plants m-2, at 30 April, without any fertilizer application. In case of later sowing/cultivation, the 20 kg N ha-1 could be applied for the maximization of biomass yield.

Stem Anatomical Descriptors of Four Sesbania Scop. Species And Their Systematic Implication

“…These findings also supported the close anatomical relationship between the S. bispinosa and S. rostrata. From the same study, the highest biomass yield was obtained from S. bispinosa (Chanda et al, 2020a) which also justifies the highest vascular cylinder, bundle cap, phloem, xylem, proto-and metaxylem vessel thicknesses of S. bispinosa. The larger vascular components helped to transfer water and minerals from soil to leaves, and photosynthates from source to sink, which might be the inherent cause of higher biomass yield in S. bispinosa.…”

“…Seeds were previously collected from the field during field surveys, multiplied, identified and maintained/stored in the Laboratory. The plants were raised in the Field Laboratory of the Department of Crop Botany in 2017 following Chanda et al (2020a). Stem samples, of 60 days old, of four Sesbania species were collected from the experimental field and preserved in vials containing FAA solution for further anatomical studies (Ruzin, 1999).…”

Vegetative development and biomass production of Sesbania herbacea in a wet floodplain environment

“…This study with S. herbacea revealed better results, when compared to those of Chanda et al (2020), in which fertilizer doses and plant density per m² were evaluated using the S. bispinosa species at 60 DAE. Regarding the N fertilizer application, the obtained values were 0.66 m for height, 5.7 and 2.5 t ha -1 for fresh and dry biomass, respectively, when applying 20 kg ha -1 of N, and 0.61 m for height, 6.7 and 2.7 t ha -1 for fresh and dry biomass, respectively, when applying 30 kg ha -1 of N, as well as 1.13 m for height, 2.9 and 1.7 t ha -1 for fresh and dry biomass, respectively, at a density of 240 plants m -2 .…”

Organic Matter Decomposition and Nutrient Release from Different Dhaincha (Sesbania spp.) Genotypes

“…Dhaincha crop was grown following standard cultivation procedure viz. seed rate @ 60 kg ha -1 , sowing at 30 April adding a fertilizer dose of 20 kg N, 10 kg P 2 O 5 , 10 kg K 2 O ha -1 from urea, triple superphosphate and muriate of potash, respectively (Chanda et al, 2020). The experiment was replicated thrice and laid out in a randomized complete block design with a unit plot size of 2.5 m×4.0 m. Both P 2 O 5 and K 2 O were applied during final land preparation and N was applied as top dress at 30 days after sowing (DAS).…”

“…Plant height, base diameter, fresh weight and biomass (g plant -1 ), and fresh and biomass yield (t ha -1 ) of different dhaincha accessions were influenced by plant population densities, sowing time and fertilizer doses (Chanda et al, 2020).…”