Vol. 9, Special Issue 1, Part F (2025)

A field experiment was carried out during the Rabi season of 2023-24 at Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana. The study aimed to investigate the "Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management and Irrigation Scheduling on the Production and Performance of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)" The experiment followed a split-plot design with three replications. The treatments involved five irrigation scheduling levels: Growth stage (I1), Pre-flowering stage (I2), Growth + siliqua formation stage (I3), Pre-flowering + siliqua formation stage (I4), and Growth + Pre-flowering + siliqua formation stage (I5). Additionally, five nutrient management levels were tested: Control (N1), Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF; 60:20:40 kg N:P:S/ha) (N2), RDF + Zinc (Zn) + Boron (B) (N3), 75% RDF + 6 tonnes Farmyard Manure (FYM) (N4), and 75% RDF + 6 tonnes FYM + Zn + B (N5). Significant differences in plant height were observed across different irrigation and nutrient treatments. The highest plant height was recorded under the I5 irrigation schedule combined with N5 nutrient management at all growth stages, whereas the lowest plant height was observed with I1 and N1 treatments. Yield attributes such as siliqua length, number of siliquae per plant, seeds per siliqua, and 1000-seed weight also showed significant variation. The combination of I5 and N5 resulted in the highest mean values for these parameters, whereas the I1 and N1 treatments recorded the lowest values. Similarly, the highest seed yield, stover yield, and biological yield were obtained under I5 and N5, while the lowest yields were recorded with I1 and N1. In conclusion, the study indicates that the combination of Growth + Pre-flowering + siliqua formation stage (I5) and 75% RDF + 6 tonnes FYM + Zn + B (N5) is the most effective approach for optimizing growth and yield in Indian mustard cultivation.