Ensuing Economic Gains due to Different Dates of Sowing on Finger millet Varieties (Eleusine coracana L.)

A field experiment to study the effect of different sowing dates on growth and yield of finger millet cultivars under rainfed conditions was conducted during three consecutive kharif seasons of 2016, 2017 and 2018 at the experimental farm of Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Sub-montane Zone, Kolhapur (Maharashtra) India. The experiment was conducted with four dates of sowing as main plot (2^nd week of June, 4^th week of June, 2^nd week of July and 4^th week of July) and four finger millet varieties (Phule Nachani, GPU 28, GPU 67 and Dapoli 1) as sub-plot in split plot design with three replications. Pooled results of the three years showed that the significantly highest plant height (88.7 cm), number of tillers (2.6), length (7.3 cm) and number of fingers (6.5), was recorded with second sowing date i.e. on 4^th week of July. However, significantly highest grain and straw yield (22.51 and 29.88 q ha^-1) as well as monetary returns was observed with sowing of finger millet variety Phule Nachani in 4^th week of June i.e. 26^th MW on shallow and light soils in IX rainfall situation of sub-montane zone of Maharashtra.