PERFORMANCE OF RAPESEED-MUSTARD CULTIVARS UNDER VARIOUS MOISTURE REGIMES ON THE GANGETIC ALLUVIAL PLAIN OF WEST-BENGAL

A Field trial was conducted during 1988-89 and 1989-90 at Water Manage ment Research Station, Memari, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, B urdwan, to study the effect of three different irrigation regimes, nam ely rainfed (I1) (No irrigation), one irrigation (I2) at flowering and two irrigations (I3 at flowering and at siliqua formation stages) on the grain yield and water expenses on four different rapeseed-mustard cultivars, namely Pusa Bold, Pusa Baroni, Varuna and DIR 247. The vari ety DIR 247 recorded maximum grain yield (12.1 q ha-1) followed by Pus a Baroni (11.8 q ha-1). The variety Varuna showed the lowest water use efficiency (48.1 kg ha-1cm-1) while DIR 247 showed the maximum value of 57.0 kg ha-1 cm-1. The number of irrigations significantly increase d the grain yield. Two irrigations, one at flowering and at siliqua fo rmation stage increased grain yield by 28% over the rainfed plots. Dur ing the crop growth period the actual water expenses among the cultiva rs in any moisture regime were more or less similar. The interaction b etween varieties and irrigation levels were, however, not significant.