Abstract

                                The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of seedling age andplanting pattern on grain and straw yield, labour productivity, and economicsof transplanted finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.) by conductingthe field experiment at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore duringKharif, 2019 (July to November). The experiment was laid out in split-plot designand each treatment was replicated thrice. It consisted of three seedling agesviz., 14, 17, and 20 days (old seedlings) as main plot factor and four plantingpatterns viz., rectangular (30 cm × 10 cm) and square (25 cm × 25 cm)planting with one and two number of seedlings per hill as subplot factor.From the experimental results, yield, labour productivity, and economics offinger millet differed due to seedling age and planting pattern. Transplantingof 20 days old seedlings under rectangular planting (30 cm × 10 cm)with two seedlings per hill recorded higher grain yield, straw yield, labourproductivity, gross return, net return, and B:C ratio. Younger seedlings of 14days old transplanted under rectangular planting (30 cm × 10 cm) with twoseedlings per hill recorded a higher cost of cultivation.

Key words : Finger millet; Labour productivity; Ecomomics; Seedling age; Planting pattern