JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
(NATURAL SCIENCE EDITION)
LIAONING GONGCHENG JISHU DAXUE XUEBAO (ZIRAN KEXUE BAN)
辽宁工程技术大学学报（自然科学版）
RESPONSE OF MUNGBEAN GENOTYPES WITH RELATION TO GROWTH, BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR AS INFLUENCED BY SOWING DATES
Fiaz Hussain, Asmat Ullah, Siraj Ahmed, Sana Ullah, Iqtidar Hussain, Mehmood Iqbal, Muhammad Shahid, Muhammad Akram, Sobia Ijaz, Muhammad Saeed Ashraf, Niaz Hussain
Abstract
Mungbean production, when sown after wheat, has been experiencing a decline over the years due to heat stress and unpredictable rainfall during critical reproductive growth stages. Identifying the optimum sowing time could potentially improve mungbean yield by mitigating these adverse environmental factors. To investigate this, a two-year field experiment was conducted at the Agronomic Research Station in Karor-Layyah during the Kharif seasons of 2018 and 2019. The experiment utilized a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with a Split Plot arrangement, including three replications. The main plot treatments consisted of four different sowing dates: D1: 1st April, D2: 15th April, D3: 1st May, D4: 15th May. In the sub-plots, three mungbean varieties were tested: V1: Bahawalpur Mung-2017, V2: NIAB Mung-2016, V3: AZRI Mung-2006. Over the course of two years, data revealed that the highest leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate, total dry matter, relative water content, and relative stress injury were observed in crops sown on the earliest date, 1st April (D1). In contrast, the lowest values for these parameters were recorded for crops sown on the latest date, 15th May (D4). The early-sown crop (D1) showed significantly better growth, biochemical, and physiological parameters compared to the late-sown crop (D4). Specifically, growth parameters demonstrated an increasing trend up to 60-75 days after sowing in the D1 treatment, whereas other treatments followed this trend only up to 60 days before a noticeable decline due to leaf senescence. Among the mungbean varieties, NIAB Mung-2016 exhibited the highest LAI, followed by AZRI Mung-2006, with Bahawalpur Mung-2017 showing the lowest LAI. Furthermore, the crops sown on 1st April (D1) and 15th April (D2) showed a remarkable increase in growth parameters, especially during the reproductive stage. In conclusion, the findings suggest that sowing mungbean earlier in the season, particularly around 1st April, can significantly enhance growth and yield by avoiding the detrimental effects of heat stress and erratic rainfall.
Keywords: Mungbean; Sowing time, Varieties, Crop growth rate, Leaf area index