Impact of Time of Sowing, Variety and Crop Geometry on Growth, Yield, Quality and Economics of Rabi Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)

The field experiment was carried in rabi season of 2015-16 at Agronomy Instructional Farm, S. D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat to examine the consequences of different time of sowing, varieties and spacing on rabi fennel. The experiment was laid out in spilt plot design with three sowing times (D1:3rd week of October, D2:1st week of November and D3: 3rd week of November) as main plot, three varieties (V1: GF-2, V2: GF -11 and V3: GF-12) and two spacings (S1: 45 cm and S2: 60 cm) in sub plot with four replications. The results revealed that early sown crop i.e. 3rd week of October recorded significantly higher growth and yield viz, plant height and total number of branches and umbels per plant, number of umbellates per umbel, test weight and seed yield as well as productivity per day, quality attributes viz., volatile oil and protein content, volatile oil yield as well as economics in term of gross and net realization, net income per day and benefit cost ratio (BCR). While, fennel variety GF-12 superior in terms of growth, yield, quality as well as economics parameters over a GF-2 and GF-11. Whereas, fennel sown at optimum space of 45 cm recorded significantly higher growth, yield and economics as compared to over 60 cm, however spacing did not exhibit a significant influence on test weight, volatile oil and protein content. The interactive effect between 3rd week of October and 45 cm was significantly superior as compared to rest of treatment combination.