GROWTH AND YIELD OF RICEBEAN (VIGNA-UMBELLATA) UNDER DIFFERENT DATES OF SOWING AND SEED RATES

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif), season 199 0 and 1991 at Ranichauri, to find out optimum time of sowing and seed rate for higher yield of ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and O hashi] under rainfed conditions. Sowing on 15 May favoured most of the growth and yield contributing characters (plant height, dry weight/pl ant, pods/plant, weight of pods/plant, grains/pod, grain weight/plant and 1,000-grain weight). The highest grain (15.65 q/ha) and straw yiel ds (43.93 q/ha) were also recorded in the same date. The levels of see d rate from 15 to 25 kg/ha did not affect most of the growth and yield characters to a significant level. However, there was a significant i ncrease ingrain (12.01 q/ha) and straw (43.39 q/ha) yields due to incr ease in seed rate up to 20 kg/ha.