Thermal and radiation environments for assessing crop-weather relationship of soybean in eastern Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during with three sowing dates (23 June, 8 July and 23 July) with three varieties (JS 20-29, JS 20-34 and JS 97-52) kharif season of 2016 and 2017 at Jabalpur in eastern Madhya Pradesh for assessing crop weather relationship in soybean through thermal and radiation environments. The results revealed that early sown crop attained more accumulated heat units, and yield decreased with delay in sowing. The maximum and minimum temperatures during reproductive stage were positively correlated with seed yield while negatively associated with vegetative and pod development stages. Photosynthetic active radiation absorption (APAR) was maximum in June sowing in semi-determinate JS 97-52 variety at pod formation stage. Maximum leaf area index (LAI) exhibited in June sown for JS 97-52 variety during pod formation stage. Seed yield increase with increased in APAR and LAI during pod formation stage. Season length difference between normal and actual crop maturity period increased with the decrease in GDD thereby suggesting a decline in yield due to shortening of crop growing period.

Keywords

• Weather parameters
• soybean,
• GDD,
• APAR,
• LAI,
• season length