Effect of Nitrogen Sources and Plant Spacing on Morphological Traits of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees) under Malwa Agro-Climatic Conditions of Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

The field experiment trial titled “Effect of nitrogen sources and plant geometry on herbage yield and nutrient uptake in Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees.)” under Malwa Plateau of Madhya Pradesh’’ was carried out in at Herbal Garden Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, KNK College of Horticulture, Mandsaur (M.P.) during the Kharif season 2024-25. The experimental Observations on morphological parameters were recorded using standard methods. The study assessed key morphological parameters, including plant height (cm), number of leaves per plant, and number of branches per plant. Observations were recorded from five randomly selected plants at intervals of 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after transplanting (DAT), as well as at harvest. The results indicated that the nitrogen treatment N1 (40 kg N applied through vermicompost combined with 40 kg N through urea) resulted in the highest values for plant height, number of branches, and number of leaves. Among the spacing treatments, S1 (20 × 10 cm) was found to be the most effective, also producing the maximum plant height, number of branches, and number of leaves. Furthermore, the combined treatment of S1 × N1 consistently recorded the highest values for all morphological traits across all growth stages, including 30, 60, 90 DAT, and at harvest.