Influence of sowing dates and varieties on the yield, heat use efficiency, energy utilization and economics of summer mungbean.

A field experiment conducted at Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) during summer season of 2013 to study the influence of sowing dates and varieties on the yield, heat use efficiency, helio-thermal use efficiency, energy utilization efficiencies and economics of summer mungbean. The experiment was conducted in a split plot design consisting of four sowing dates (20th March, 5_th April, 20_th April and 5_th May) as main-plot treatments and four varieties (SML 668, Samrat, Meha and IPM 02- 3) as sub-plot treatments. Higher grain yield (9.33 q ha-1) of summer mungbean was recorded under 20_th March sowing date, which was statistically at par with 5th April sowing but significantly higher than 20th April and 5th May sowing. Among the varieties, Samrat produced significantly higher grain yield (7.82 q ha^-1) than all other varieties except SML 668. But, the heat use efficiency (HUE), helio-thermal use efficiency (HTUE) and energy pattern was significantly higher at 20th March than other dates of sowing. The varieties Samrat and SML 668 recorded significantly higher HUE, HTUE and energy pattern than IPM 02-3 and Meha. The highest benefit cost ratio (1.42) was recorded with 5th April sowing date closely followed by 20th March (1.39). The variety Samrat also registered the highest benefit cost ratio (1.07) followed by SML-668. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]