DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4509622 Journal of Agricultural Science & Engineering Innovation (JASEI) U.S. ISSN 2694 -4812 Vol. 1, No. 2, 2020 www.rsepress.com 28 | Page Effect of spacing and curd management on quality seed production and profitability of broccoli var. BARI broccoli 1 Md. Golam Azam 1* , ASM Harunor Rashid 2 , SM Kamrul Hasan Chowdhury 3 , Md. Safayat Husnain 4 and M. Jamal Uddin 5 1 Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Khulshi, Chattogram, Bangladesh 2 Horticulture Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Khulshi, Chattogram, Bangladesh 3 Plant Pathology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Khulshi, Chattogram, Bangladesh 4 Department of Seed Technology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh 5 Agricultural Economics Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Hathazari, Chattogram, Bangladesh *Corresponding author email: kbdrashedbari@gmail.com, kbdrashed@bari.gov.bd Abstract— A two factorial experiment with nine treatment combinations was conducted at Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Pahartali, Khulshi, Chattogram during Rabi season 2019- 2020 to find out the best seed production technology for broccoli. These two factors were spacing and curd management. In case of siliqua/ plant, the highest number of siliqua (2453) was acquired from treatment H2S2 (de-heading with 60 cm × 60 cm spacing) followed by treatment H1S2 (scooping with 60 cm × 60 cm spacing) which was documented as 2054. On the other hand, treatment H3S3 (no de-heading with 50cm × 40 cm spacing) produced lowest number of siliqua/ plant which is documented as 677. Treatment H2S2 (de-heading with 60 cm × 60 cm spacing) also provided the maximum seeds/ siliqua (9.40), 1000 seed weight (4.37 g) and seed yield (680 kg/ha) .The highest length of siliqua (5 cm) was obtained from treatment H3S2 (control with 60 cm × 60 cm spacing) and the lowest length of siliqua (4.55cm) was obtained from treatment H2S3 (de-heading with 50cm × 40 cm spacing). Treatment H3S3 (control with 50cm × 40 cm spacing) provided lowest seeds/ siliqua (6.50). Treatment H1S3 (scooping with 50 cm × 40 cm spacing) produced the lowest 1000 seed weight (3.17g). The BCR of broccoli was very high due to the high price of broccoli seed. From the result of BCR, it is clear that de-heading of curd is more profitable than scooping and control for the seed production of broccoli. Among de-heading technique, H2S2 is more profitable as suggested by its higher BCR (41). Keywords— Broccoli; Seed yield; Scooping, De-heading and BCR I. INTRODUCTION Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) is thought as the non- traditional and comparatively firsthand cole crops in Bangladesh, from the Brassicaceae family. It is cultivated during the winter season in Bangladesh as a cash crop [1]. There is only one released broccoli variety in Bangladesh namely BARI Broccoli-1whcih has capability to produce seed. Broccoli is an eatable green crop whose large flowering head and stalk is consumed as a vegetable. It has a very high nutritional value due to its high content of protein, carbohydrates, fibers, calcium, iron, β-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. It also helps in digestion and assimilation of food in human body [2]. Broccoli has good nutritional value where it is considered one of the foods with low free fat, sodium, and calories, and it is a good source for many vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, riboflavin, niacin, carotenoids and folic acid [3][4]. Broccoli is a rich source of glucosinoldes, which has been proven to be anti- cancer [5], it was found that eating more than one meal during the week reduces the risk of cancer with the percentage of 45% as well as it helps prevent infecting with retinal diseases [6]. The green leaves of broccoli after harvesting the head is considered as the nutritive green silage during severe dearth in winter season [7]. New days, broccoli attracted more attention due its diverse use and great nutritional value [8][9]. Some investigators dealt with broccoli varieties under the different environmental conditions [10][11][12][13][14]. There is lot of techniques to produce quality seed of broccoli viz. de- heading and scooping. Plant spacing is considered as an essential element that can manipulate plant population in a unit of plant that influences the growth and development of plant. The main impact of plant density on production is due to difference in distribution of solar energy and increasing light which leads increasing yield [15]. Broccoli is a vegetable crop that responds to plant density, where the planting distance directly affects the quantity of the crop and the size, diameter and weight of the main curds and it affects the number of sub- curds formed by the plants and the formation date of the curds and completing their growth, where the density affects the prolong the flowering period. The planting distances between plants and between the cultivation lines have a great influence on the vegetative growth for plants and the quantitative and qualitative yield for the produced curds [16]. Irwin and Aarssen [17] stated that seed and biomass production was increased due to the pinching of axillary buds. Mutilation to the shoot tip commonly helps to release of horizontal meristems due to the apical dominance in plants. The removal of shoot apex also helps to inhibit reproduction [18]. Plants having main stem apex demonstrate apical dominance through obstructs the development of lateral branches. This obstruction is normally supposed to be facilitated by hormonal mechanism, but modifications in environmental circumstances can also modify the development of lateral twigs [19]. There is no specific head management and optimum spacing for quality seed production of broccoli. It is estimated that good quality