UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FAISALABAD

DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY

(Synopsis for M. Sc (Hons.) Agriculture)

TITLE: GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF THREE CULTIVARS

OF LENTIL (Lens culinaris Medik.) TO DIFFERENT NPK
LEVELS.

Date of admission : 14-12-2001

Date of initiation : 14-12-2001

Probable duration : 4 semesters

PERSONNEL

Name : Syed Asad Hussain Bukhari

Registration. No. : 96-ag-1416

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE

Dr.Riaz Ahmad (chairman)

Dr. Muhammad Ayub (member)

Dr. Ata Muhammad Ranjha (member)

ABSTRACT

Investigation to study the growth and yield response of three lentil cultivars

to NPK levels will be conducted at the Agronomic research area, University of

Agriculture Faisalabad. Replicated three times the experiment will be laid out in

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Randomized Complete Block Design with split plot arrangement randomizing the

fertilizer in main plots and lentil cultivars in sub-plots. The NPK levels 0:0:0,

25:0:0, 25:50:0 and 25:50:50 and lentil cultivars viz. Masoor-85, Masoor-93 and

NL-2002 will be included in the experiment. Data collected on growth, yield and

yield components will be statistically analyzed by using fisher’s analysis of

variance technique and Least Significant Difference Test (LSD) at 5% level of

probability will be applied to test the significance among treatments means.

INTRODUCTION

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is one of the important grain legume crops in

Pakistan. It is a main source of vegetable protein in human diet. Average protein

content of lentil is 22-34.6% and 100 g of dried seeds contain, 12% moisture, 0.6 g fat,

65.0 g total carbohydrate, about 4 g fiber, 2.1 g ash, 68 mg Ca, 325 mg P, 7.0 mg Fe, 29

mg Na, 780 mg K, 0.46 mg thiamine, 0.33 mg riboflavin, 1.3 mg niacin (Adsule et al.,

1989; Muehlbauer et al., 1985). Being a legume crop, it improves soil fertility by

fixing atmospheric nitrogen. In Pakistan, total area under lentil is 47.2 thousand

hectares with an annual production of 27.6 thousand tones giving an average yield

585Kg ha-1. (Anonymous, 2002). The average yield of lentil in Pakistan is low as

compared to other lentil growing countries. This is probably due to the fact that

lentil is grown on marginally fertile lands with no fertilizer or inadequate

fertilizers, improper weed management and plant protection measures. The use of

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varieties with low yield potential limits the yield of lentil to a considerable extent.

High yielding varieties play an important role in increasing the yield per unit area.

There is also a wrong notion with farmers that this crop being a legume does not

need any nutrition. They usually grow without any supply of fertilizer. As nitrogen

is an essential constituent of proteins and is also present in many compounds,

having great physiological importance. Thus, it plays a vital role in plant

metabolism. Phosphorus counterbalances the effect of excess nitrogen by

hastening plant maturity, improving grain quality and retarding excess vegetative

growth. Potassium is considered as reaction catalyst and it affects the efficiency of

various enzymes. Moreover, different cultivars of lentil have different potential

and varying response to different fertilizer level.

Keeping in view the importance of varieties and NPK, The present study

will be carried out to investigate the growth and yield behaviour of three lentil

cultivars grown at different fertilizer level, under the prevailing conditions at

Faisalabad.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Malik et al. (1991) conducted field experiment at Faisalabad to determine

the effect of NPK on seed yield and quality of lentil. They concluded that

combined application of NPK, NP and PK was more effective in increasing

number of pods per plant and thousand seed weight than single application of N, P

or K. Fertilizer combination of 25+50+50 Kg/ha. NPK respectively produced the

highest yield and protein content in seed.

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 Muhammad (1993) conducted a field experiment at agronomic research

area University of Agriculture Faisalabad and observed that the application of

75kg K2O ha-1 produced maximum number of pods per plant and highest seed

yield.

Selim (1995) concluded that the highest seed yield was obtained by

inoculation treatment in combination with 20Kg N and 60Kg P2O5 per feddan as

compared with the inoculation alone. (1 feddan= 0.42 ha.)

Gwal et al. (1995) conducted a field experiment at the Krishi Vishwa

Vidyalaya Research Farm and observed that the application of 18Kg N + 46Kg

P2O5 + 20Kg K2O +20Kg S ha-1 resulted in the highest seed yield, tallest plants and

most branches per plant.

Shivakumar et al. (1995) in a field experiment conducted at Indian

Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, concluded that the application of P

and S resulted in increased seed yield of lentil.

Sharma (1996) reported that inoculation + N + P gave the highest yield of

1803kg per ha. as compared with the inoculation alone

Hassan (1996) reported that the application of N @ 15-30Kg ha-1 caused a

significant increase in the seed yield of lentil as compared with the control (no

fertilizer).

Sharma (1999) conducted a field trial in Almora, U .P, India. Three

cultivars were given basal application of 20 Kg N/ha with a foliar spray of 10 Kg

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N ha-1 at the end of flowering. The additional N significantly increased the yield of

all genotypes

Mandal and Majumdar (2001) conducted a field experiment in Sriniketan,

West Bengal, India and observed that crop growth rate and relative growth rate

were significantly affected by two irrigations, higher fertilizer rates (20Kg N/ha.)

and a density of 0.5 million plants ha-1. These treatments also resulted in the

highest water use efficiency, plant height, number of nodules per plant, nodule

weight, pods per plant, seed yield, harvest index and seed protein contents.

Reddy and Ahlawat (2001) in an experiment conducted in New Delhi, India

observed that treatment with 17.2Kg P and 5Kg Zink per hectare produced a

higher dry matter and grain yield than the control (no fertilizer). N,P and Zn

uptake were improved by the application of P and Zn.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The proposed study will be conducted at the Agronomic research area, University

of Agriculture, Faisalabad during the year 2002-3003. The experiment will be laid

out in Randomized Complete Block Design with split plot arrangement,

randomizing fertilizer levels in main plots and lentil cultivars in sub-plots. The

number of replications will be three. Net plot size will be 1.8 m x 5 m.

Experiment treatment will be as follows.

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 A. Fertilizer Levels (Kg ha-1)

N P2O5 K2 O
Fo : 0 0 0
F1 : 25 0 0
F2 : 25 50 0
F3 : 25 50 50

B. Lentil Cultivars

V1 : Masoor-85
V2 : Masoor-93
V3 : NL-2002

The crop will be sown on a well-prepared seedbed with single row hand

drill at a row-to-row distance of 30 cm in the last week of November. The entire

quantity of fertilizer will be side drilled just after sowing in respective plots. All

the cultural practices will be kept uniform for all the treatments.

Data on following observations will be recorded during the course of study.

1. Number of plants (m-2)

2. Plant height (cm)

3. Number of branches per plant

4. Number of pods per plant

5. Number of seeds per pod

6. 1000-seed weight (g)

7. Biological yield (kg/ha)

8. Seed yield (kg/ha)

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 9. Straw weight (kg/ha)

10. Protein content in seed (%)

11. Harvest index (%)

Data collected will be analyzed statistically using Fisher’s analysis of

variance technique and Least Significant Difference Test (LSD) at 5% level of

probability will be applied to test the significance among treatments means (Steel

and Torrie, 1984).

LITERATURE CITED

Adsule, R.N., S.S. Kadam, and H.K. Leung. 1989. Lentil. In: CRC hand book of

world food legumes (eds. D.K. Salunkehe and S.S. Kadam). Boca Raton,

Florida, USA: CRC Press.

Anonymous. 2001-2002. Economic Survey. Govt. of Pakistan, Adviser’s Wing,

Finance Division. Islamabad.

Gwal H. B., R. J. Tiwari and D. K. Gupta. 1995. Fertilizer management of lentil

under rain-fed conditions in Madhya Pradesh. Lens. Newsletter. 22 (1-2):

11-12.

Hassan, M. A. 1996. Impact of varying irrigation and nitrogen levels on growth

and yield of lentil. M. Sc. Thesis, Dept. of Agronomy, University of

Agriculture, Faisalabad.

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Malik, M. A., A. Tanveer, M. A. Hayee and A. Ali. 1991. Seed yield and protein

contents of lentil as influenced by NPK application. J. Agri. Res.1991. .

29:3, 333-338.

Mandal, K. G. and D. K. Majumdar. 2001. Agro-physiological characteristics of

lentil in relation to irrigation, nitrogen and plant density. J. Interacademicia.

5:2, 156-161.

Muehlbauer, F.J., J.I. Cubero and R.J. Summerfield. 1985. Lentil (Lens culinaris

Medic.). p. 266-311. In: R.J. Summerfield and E.H. Roberts (eds.), Grain

Legume Crops. Collins, 8 Grafton Street, London, UK.

Muhammad, I. A. 1993. Effect of different seed rates and K levels on growth and

yield of lentil. M. Sc. Thesis, Dept. of Agronomy, University of

Agriculture, Faisalabad.

Reddy, S. V. K. and I. P. S. Ahlawat. 2001. Dry matter accumulation and nutrient

uptake in lentil in relation to cultivar, phosphorus, zink and biofertilizers.

Research on Crops. 2:1, 21-24.

Selim, M. M. 1999. Rhizobial inoculation and fertilization of lentil grown under

new reclaimed sandy soil conditions. Egyptian J. Agron. 20(1-2): 137-151.

Sharma, M.C. 1996. Economic response of lentil to seed rate, row spacing,

Rhizobial inoculation and chemical fertilization. Lens. Newsletter. 23:1-2,

15-18.

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Sharma, R. K. 1999. Chemical fertilizers can increase productivity in legumes.

Crop research (Hisar) 18(1) 159-160 (Field Crop Absts., 53(1):486; 2000).

Shivakumar, B. G., C. S. Saraf and R. R. Patil. 1995. Effect of phosphorus and

sulfuir levels and limited irrigation on the performance of macrosperma

lentil. Lens. Newsletter. 22:1-2, 19-23.

Steel, R.G.D. and J.H.Torrie. 1984. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. 2nd Ed.

Mc Graw Hill Book Co. Inc. Singapore. 172-177.

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SIGNATURES

Student Syed Asad Hussain Bukhari --------------------------

Supervisor Dr. Riaz Ahmad --------------------------

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE

Dr. Riaz Ahmad (Chairman) --------------------------

Dr. Muhammad Ayub (Member) --------------------------

Dr. Ata Muhammad Ranjha (Member) --------------------------

Chairman, Dean,
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

Director,
Advanced Studies,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

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