Influence of Seed Rate and Row Spacing on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) in Abay Chomen district, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in Abay Chom\en District, Western Ethiopia during the rainy season in 2021, to determine the effects of seed rate and row spacing on growth, yield, and yield components of Fenugreek. It was executed in RCBD factorial arrangement by using ‘Ebisa’ variety and four seed rate (15, 18, 22,  and 24kgha^-1) and three inter-rows spacing (20, 25, and 30cm) in three replications. The variance analysis indicated intra-row spacing had a highly significant effect on most of yield and its components. The interaction effects of seed rates and row spacing were highly significant (p<0.01) for the yield and its component characters. Days to 50% flowering, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, seed per pod, pod length, harvest index and seed yield were found to be significantly increased with the increase of row spacing and seed rate to 25cn rows spacing and 22kg per hectare seed rate whereas plant height and 1000 seed weight were found to be significantly decreased. Extending the row spacing beyond 25cm rows and seed rate of 22kg per hectare.( Row spacing was extended above 25cm, and seeding was carried out at a rate of 22kg per hectare.) Resulted in a significant decrease in a number of pods per plant, seed per pod, pod length, seed yield, biomass yield, and harvest index. It suggests that the appropriate seed rate and row spacing for maximum seed yield under the present study were 22kg per hectare and 25cm.