Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Cultivation land preparation and sowing

Propagation
Fenugreek is best grown as an annual crop from seeds which are sown following the broadcast or the line sowing method. The diploid and auto-tetraploid strains of fenugreek are reported to regenerate complete plantlets from meristamatic cells.

Land preparation
The land should be thoroughly prepared by repeated ploughing and harrowing. Beds of convenient size (3 x 2 m) are prepared at the same time. For an irrigated crop, irrigation channels are made along the alternate rows of beds.

Sowing
The ideal sowing time for fenugreek in Northern India is from the last week of October to the first week of November. In the southern parts, it is grown both in the kharif and rabi seasons. In the kharif, the yield is less than in the rabi crop. Sowing should be done from the second fortnight of June to July end, in the kharif crop and for the rabi crop, first fortnight of October is the best sowing time.
If the broadcasting method is followed, the broadcasted seeds are raked lightly to cover them. Line sowing is done by drilling the seeds 30 cm apart in rows with a plant-to-plant spacing of 10 cm. A spacing of 20 x 30 cm is followed in Rajasthan. The seed should not be sown deeper than 5 cm. A seed rate of 15-25 kg for the seed crop and 30-35 kg for the leafy vegetable crop per hectare is sufficient. The seeds are soaked in water for 2 days prior to sowing to enhance germination.
The seeds may be soaked in a cycocil solution at 50-100 ppm for improving germination and enhancing seedling growth. Soaking the seeds in a solution of 0.6% EMS is recommended for improved germination and survival of seedlings.
The seeds should be treated with Rhizobium culture before sowing. The seeds germinate within 6-8 days after sowing. The line sown crop is thinned within the row at the 3 to 4- leaf stage to retain 1-2 plants per hill.