Title: Effect of Different Sowing Dates and Cultivars on Growth and Productivity of Mungbean Crop
Abstract: IntroductionL egume grains provide food for humans and feed for livestock, along with providing these benefits legume crops also improve soil fertility (Baddeley et al., 2013).Mungbean (Vigna radiate) being a leguminous crop can replenish soil fertility and avert land degradation and improves crop production and livestock rearing while sustaining the ecosystem (Chattha et al., 2017a).Cultivation of such dualpurpose leguminous crops enhances the overall productivity of the agricultural system and conserves Abstract | Sowing time is an important agronomic factor that significantly affects plant growth, development and final production.Similarly, suitable cultivar also plays an appreciable role in final productivity.Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of variable sowing dates and cultivars on the growth and productivity of mungbean.The study was conducted in RCBD with a split arrangement having three replications at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.The experiment consisted of different sowing dates (SD); 25 th April, 5 th May and 15 th May and variable mungbean cultivars Azri Mung-2006, NM-2011 and NM-2006.The maximum plant height (52.67 cm), pod length (11.39 cm), pods/plant (22.11), seed yield (1300.22 kg ha -1 ) and biological yield (4439.56 kg ha -1 ) was recorded in crop sown on 25 th April and minimum plant height (43.67 cm), pod length (9.92 cm), pods/plant (18.33), seed yield (1975.22 kg ha -1 ) and biological yield (3761.67 kg ha -1 ) was recorded in crop sown on 15 th May.In the case of cultivars, NM-2006 performed remarkably well and had maximum plant height (50.56 cm), pod length (11.59 cm), pods/plant (21.56), seed yield (1279.67 kg ha -1 ), biological yield (4373.11 kg ha -1 ) and Azri-Mung 2006 had minimum plant height (44.78 cm), pod length (9.60 cm), pods/plant (19.22), seed yield (1029.22 kg ha -1 ) and biological yield (3794.22 kg ha -1 ).In conclusion, mungbean should be sown on 25 th April to get the maximum production in rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS).Additionally, cultivar NM-