Seed Priming and Foliar Application of Nutrients Influence the Productivity of Relay Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) through Accelerating the Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Use Efficiency

The efficiency of a crop to intercept and utilize solar radiation for photosynthates production serves as one the deciding factors productive potential stand. Interception use photosynthetically active (PAR) were estimated in relay grass pea under different nutrient management schedules consecutive two seasons 2017–2018 2018–2019. Treatments levels seed priming (i.e., 1. S1: Without 2. S2: Seed with ammonium molybdate at 0.5 g kg−1 seed) five foliar-applied nutritions various combinations 2% Urea 0.5% NPK (19:19:19) shuffling their times application, replicated thrice laying out factorial randomized block design. along twice sprays pre-flowering followed by second after 15 days recorded maximum leaf area index (LAI) total chlorophyll content augmenting greater interception PAR highest biomass accumulation, growth rate (CGR) contents leading significant increase yield over control (1696.70 1182.00 kg ha−1, respectively) pooled analysis. LAI established linear relationships explaining about 94 88% variations intercepted 90 DAS. Intercepted during phenophases was positively correlated dry matter accumulation net photosynthetic polynomial relationships. varied 95 96% respectively 2018–2019 pod developmental stage.