Growth dynamics, yield and economic response of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) hybrids to row spacing adjustments under hyper arid condition of Rajasthan

An experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2021–2022 at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bikaner-II (Lunkaransar), Rajasthan, with the treatment combination of three row spacings (30 cm × 15 cm, 45 cm × 15 cm and 60 cm × 15 cm) and seven hybrids of pearl millet ‘HHB-67’ improved, ‘HHB-197’, ‘HHB-299’, ‘MPMH-17’, ‘HHB-273’, ‘HHB-226’ and ‘BHB-1602’). The experiment was carried out in split plot design with three replications. The result reveled that yield attributes, yield, net returns and B:C ratio were recorded significantly higher in the wider spacing (60×15 cm) statistically showed maximum seed yield (2.40 t/ha), net returns (36,324 Rs ha-1) with B:C ratio (3.07) followed by 45×15 cm space sowing seed yield (2.25 t ha-1), net returns (33,856 Rs ha-1) with B:C ratio (2.93) and third sowing spacing (30×15 cm) seed yield (1.92 t ha-1), Net Returns (27,086 Rs ha-1) with B:C ratio (2.55) respectively. Similarly, hybrid MPMH-17 recorded significantly higher grain yield 2.50 t ha-1 followed by hybrid HHB-299 (2.39 t ha-1), HHB-273 (2.22 t ha-1), HHB-197 (2.21 t ha-1), HHB-67 imp (2.08 t ha-1), HHB-226 (1.97 t ha-1) and BHB-1602 (1.96 t ha-1) respectively. In interaction of row spacing with different hybrids showed that pearl millet hybrid MPMH-17 sowing at spacing 45×15 cm, being statically at par with HHB-299 sowing at spacing 45×15 cm and HHB-67 imp. sowing at spacing 60×15 cm recorded maximum seed yield, stover yield and biological yield, which was significantly higher over all other hybrids of pearl millet with sowing all row spacing.