Indian Journal of Agricultural Research 794 RESEARCH ARTICLE Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, Volume 58 Issue 5: 794-799 (October 2024) Effect of Soil and Foliar Nitrogen Fertilization on Performance and Economics of Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivation under Rainfed Conditions of Nagaland Noyingthung Kikon 1 , Virosanuo Solo 2 , L. Tongpang Longkumer 1 , Imlilemla Amlari 2 , Anil Kumar Singh 2 , Lanunola Tzudir 1 10.18805/IJARe.A-6239 ABSTRACT Background: Crop production relies heavily on essential nutrients. Balanced soil-applied fertilizers, along with foliar sprays, can improve input efficiency and crop performance, particularly in rainfed areas prone to moisture stress. Method: A field investigation was conducted at the experimental farm of School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema campus, during rabi season of 2021. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications with four main factors comprising of soil-application of different doses of N (nitrogen) in two splits (based on RDF of 40 kg N ha -1 ) viz., 100 % N, 75% N, 50% N and 25% N and five sub-factors comprising of foliar sprays of N viz. Control (water spray), single spray of Nanourea @ 3 ml liter -1 , two sprays of Nanourea @ 3 ml liter -1 , single spray of Urea @ 2% and two sprays of Urea @ 2%. Result: Among the different soil application treatments, significantly highest NUE (Agronomic Efficiency), seed yield (996.80 kg ha -1 ) and stover yield (3032.10 kg -1 ) was recorded with soil application of 100 % N ultimately recording the highest net return (Rs. 26004 ha -1 ) and IBCR (5.80). Whereas, two sprays of Nanourea @ 3 ml L -1 , among foliar treatments, recorded the highest NUE (Agronomic Efficiency), seed and stover yield (918.44 kg ha -1 and 3032.26 kg ha -1 respectively) as well as net returns (Rs. 22988 ha -1 ) and IBCR (5.5). Key words: Foliar sprays, Linseed, Nitrogen fertilization, Soil application. INTRODUCTION Linseed, a dual-purpose rabi oilseed crop, valued for its oil and fiber yield, is gaining global recognition and is recommended as an immunity booster and nutraceutical post-COVID, offering a sustainable alternative to animal- based sources in diets. Its natural fibers are utilized in advanced synthetic science and eco-friendly product development (Dash et al., 2022). In India, linseed cultivation covers 1.7 lakh hectares, yielding 1.1 lakh tonnes with a productivity of 644 kg ha -1 . Approximately 80% of production comes from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha (Anonymous, 2022). In Nagaland during 2022-23, linseed cultivation covered 3,930 hectares with a production of 3,030 MT and productivity of 771 kg ha -1 (Annual administrative report 2023-24). Major linseed growing districts in Nagaland include Dimapur, Mokokchung, Phek, Wokha, Peren and Mon, contributing 73% of the state’s total production (Directorate of Economics and Statistics, 2021). Low linseed productivity in India is attributed to input- starved, moisture-stressed rainfed conditions, limited suitable varieties, poor soil quality, abiotic stresses and inadequate nutrient management (Rastogi et al., 2013). Research indicates that selecting high-yielding linseed varieties and implementing proper nutrient management strategies can substantially improve linseed performance, thereby impacting plant yield (Shahverdi et al., 2020). Nitrogen promotes vegetative growth, cell division and enlargement, resulting in increased leaf area, improved growth, development, plant vigor and yield (Patel et al., 2017). Pawar et al. (2023) observed that increasing nitrogen levels from 0 to 60 kg ha -1 led to enhanced growth and yield attributes in linseed, including plant height, branches per plant, capsules per plant, dry matter accumulation, seeds per capsule, test weight, seed yield per plant and straw yield per plant. Moreover, successive increases in nitrogen levels from 30 to 90 kg ha -1 significantly improved various growth parameters and seed yield of linseed (Dohat et al., 2017). The extensive and continuous imbalanced fertilizer application can harm soil properties and long-term 1 Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Dimapur-797 106, Nagaland, India. 2 ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Linseed, School of Agricultural Sciences Medziphema Centre, Nagaland University, Dimapur-797 106, Nagaland, India. Corresponding Author: Noyingthung Kikon, Department of Agronomy, Nagaland University, School of Agricultural Sciences, Dimapur-797 106, Nagaland, India. Email: noyingkikon@gmail.com How to cite this article: Kikon, N., Solo, V., Longkumer, L.T., Amlari, I., Singh, A.K. and Tzudir, L. (2024). Effect of Soil and Foliar Nitrogen Fertilization on Performance and Economics of Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivation under Rainfed Conditions of Nagaland. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research. 58(5): 794-799. doi: 10.18805/IJARe.A-6239. Submitted: 12-04-2024 Accepted: 25-05-2024 Online: 02-07-2024