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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Optimising yield and blast resistance in finger millet through variety and planting time management in North Central Plateau Zone, Odisha

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11164
Submitted
7 August 2025
Published
06-07-2026

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023 at the Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station (RRTTS), Keonjhar, Odisha, India, to evaluate the effect of sowing dates and varieties on blast disease severity and yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) in the North Central Plateau Zone (NCPZ) of Odisha. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with 3 replications, comprising four sowing dates (20 June, 30 June, 10 July and 20 July) and 3 varieties (Bhairabi, Arjuna and Kalua). Leaf, neck and finger blast severities were assessed at critical crop growth stages using percent disease severity index and grain yield was recorded at physiological maturity. Delayed sowing from 20 June to 20 July resulted in a progressive increase in blast severity, with finger blast severity ranging from 6.23–30.01 % in 2022 and 4.65–27.63 % in 2023, depending on variety. Among the varieties, Kalua recorded the highest blast severity (up to 30.01 %), whereas Bhairabi consistently showed lower disease severity (< 22.5 %) across both seasons. Early sowing on 20 and 30 June reduced blast severity by 30–45 % compared to late sowing and resulted in higher grain yield, with Bhairabi producing the maximum yield of 10.31 q ha-¹ under early sowing. Blast severity showed significant positive correlations with temperature and relative humidity, while grain yield was negatively correlated with disease intensity. The study demonstrates that early sowing combined with tolerant varieties such as Bhairabi can effectively reduce blast severity and enhance finger millet productivity under rainfed conditions, providing a practical strategy for climate-resilient millet cultivation.

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